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As we enter this Lenten season, may this be a time of reflection, renewal, and quiet strength. May our hearts grow softer, our faith deeper, and our hope stronger as we journey toward Easter.
Chapter 17
The next day marked the beginning of Wanshou Month—the month of the Emperor's birthday.
In the palace, with so many people, everyone had their own "auspicious days." Usually, those below the rank of Noble Lady (Guiren) would celebrate behind closed doors, perhaps eating a bowl of longevity noodles or two boiled eggs. A few close friends might gather for a game of cards, and the day would pass just like that.
For those with higher status, the festivities naturally involved more variety. For the lower-ranking consorts, this was an additional social expense; they had to prepare one or two presentable gifts to save face, hoping to gain the favor and protection of the high-ranking concubines in the future.
Of course, when it came to the Emperor's Wanshou Festival (Birthday), it was a monumental occasion that required preparations to begin a full month in advance. As the highest-ranking concubine currently in the harem, Noble Consort Yu naturally shouldered the great responsibility of uniting the Six Palaces and gathering collective wisdom for the event.
As the Wanshou Festival drew closer, the festive atmosphere could be glimpsed through the palace maids' exceptionally bright and colorful attire, a special permission granted for the season.
Coincidentally, today was Noble Consort Yu’s own "Thousand Autumns" (Birthday). Such a day could not be missed; although it paled in comparison to the Emperor’s birthday, Noble Consort Yu was currently acting on behalf of the Empress in managing the harem, making her essentially the "Vice-Empress." The Empress had been deposed for two years now, and since the Emperor had not appointed a successor, Noble Consort Yu continued to enjoy her prominent status in the deep palace.
No one knew if Noble Consort Yu truly had the "Empress’s fate," so even though some among the well-wishers were internally dissatisfied, they could only mutter behind her back.
At the gate of the Palace of Earthly Honor (Yikun Gong), three pairs of flower-pot-soled shoes stepped out. Behind them followed a line of palace maids wearing white silk socks and flat green shoes. Consort Gong, like a star surrounded by the moon, led her entourage toward the Palace of Eternal Harmony (Yonghe Gong).
Noble Lady Qi fanned herself with a silk fan, looking up at the clear blue sky. There wasn't a single cloud; the sky was so pure it seemed as if it could draw one's soul in. She let out a breath. "The weather is so fine today; it wouldn't be excessive to eat ice by noon."
Noble Lady Zhen agreed, "Indeed. It’s not even Midsummer yet, and the heat makes one restless."
There was a subtext in these words, implying that Noble Consort Yu was already putting on the airs of an Empress before even holding the title.
It wasn't even a milestone birthday, yet she was opening her doors to receive gifts from the entire harem, how shameless! If they followed their own hearts, they wouldn't give her this face at all. However, the palace was full of "soft-shelled crabs" (weak-willed people). If you went, and she went, but I alone didn't go, it would seem as though I were being unsociable or intentionally crossing the Noble Consort.
The paulownia-leaf-shaped Kesi fan in Consort Gong’s hand rhythmically tapped against the eighteen-bead bracelet hanging at her chest. The sandalwood handle struck the tourmaline beads with a crisp "tak-tak" sound.
Consort Gong was the primary mistress of the Palace of Earthly Honor, and the two minor Noble Ladies living with her always tried their best to vent her frustrations and amuse her. Even if they weren't exactly "good sisters," they were at least two good "dogs."
She smiled, her hair pulled tight in a Manchu style. Her jade-like, fair face appeared slightly larger under the bright daylight.
"Today you give to her, and one day she will return the favor. She is a Noble Consort, after all; would she really take such small advantages of you?"
Noble Lady Qi, of course, chose to say exactly what Consort Gong liked to hear. She whispered, "Your Highness is a kind-hearted soul; how could you know the schemes of others? Last year we sent gifts as usual, and did the Palace of Eternal Harmony not accept them all? That maid, Cui Piao, acted as if she couldn't wait to bring out a giant vat to hold it all. Speaking of Noble Consort Yu, her father is a high-ranking border official; how did she end up with such a greedy, petty temperament?"
The fan in Consort Gong’s hand waved more briskly. "That is her habitual tactic. The items she gathers from us are all brought out to contribute to the fund when she hears the Empress Dowager wants to donate a Buddhist pagoda. This way, she gains a reputation for virtue without spending her own resources. If we had even half her shrewdness, we would have stood out before His Majesty long ago."
This was true. The harem was filled with women craning their necks for Imperial favor, yet there was only one man. Even if the Emperor were an ox, he couldn't withstand everyone plucking a tuft of hair.
Thus, most of the time, the Emperor was very quiet—so quiet it was as if he didn't even like women. Every night, the concubines dressed up meticulously, sitting in the waiting rooms behind the Palace of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin Dian), waiting for the flip of a name tag during the Emperor's meal. Most of the time, the command was "Dismissed," causing even Noble Consort Yu’s face to betray a hint of refined dejection.
Fortunately, everyone was the same. They had all been briefly and self-importantly favored, only to be quickly submerged back into the sea of "flowers." Noble Consort Yu’s only advantage was that she had been in the palace a long time and had deep seniority. But the harem wasn't the Imperial Court; one didn't get promoted for building dams or minting coins. She had managed the Six Palaces as a "Vice-Empress" for two years, yet she was still just a Consort with the word "Noble" added. To add the word "Imperial" (to become Imperial Noble Consort) would likely take another eight to ten years of waiting.
Thinking this way, Noble Consort Yu didn't seem like such a formidable person in their eyes. Consort Gong persuaded herself to simply respect her as a senior.
The group entered the Palace of Eternal Harmony. Past the screen wall, they saw that the palace maids here had all changed into pink silk robes—an extra grace granted during the Wanshou Month. Usually, palace maids wore light or dark green. Noble Consort Yu was piggybacking on the Emperor's glory; no wonder she always took pride in sharing a birth month with His Majesty.
The concubines who had arrived earlier were already seated. Consort Gong and her entourage arrived late. Upon entering, she immediately offered a string of apologies, saying with a smile, "I was so focused on preparing the gift for the Noble Consort that I arrived late, late... I deserve to be punished."
Noble Consort Yu was wearing a tea-green satin robe embroidered with gold clouds and cranes. Two years of managing the harem had forged her into a very seasoned woman.
Every woman in this palace was putting on an act, appearing harmonious on the surface while competing underneath. Fortunately, the Emperor never showed favoritism to any of them. The word "favoritism" did not exist in his vocabulary. These women were like sheep he raised; whether they got along or fought, he could remain completely indifferent.
This was actually quite good; everyone felt it was fair.
Consort Gong, along with Noble Lady Qi and Noble Lady Zhen, gracefully performed their salutations to Noble Consort Yu. Noble Consort Yu wore a smile and raised her hand. "You all arrived at nearly the same time; there is no need for such ceremony, Sister. Please sit and talk."
Consort Gong’s rank was relatively high in the harem. Below the Noble Consort, there should have been four Consorts, but the Emperor had no interest in "collecting" them. Thus, to this day, there were only three "Great Generals": Consort Gong, Consort He, and Consort Yi. Anyone below the rank of Concubine (Bin) had to bow to these three. A large group of women in the room curtsied to Consort Gong, who gave no reaction, simply turning to sit in a gold-lacquered wood-carved chair.
Now it was time to show sincerity to the Noble Consort. Consort Gong said gently, "I arrived late, and the gift I prepared might not surpass those of the other sisters, but it represents my heart." As she spoke, she called to Bao Zhu, "Quickly, present the item."
Everyone turned to look as the maid named Bao Zhu carried in a Liyi¹ Coral Amitayus Buddha (Buddha of Infinite Life) from behind the floor-to-ceiling partition.
The Buddha was not large, no more than a foot tall, housed in a sandalwood box inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Through a glass pane, one could see the coral glowing with a brilliant red.
To say she wasn't sincere would be impossible. What a wonderful meaning—red for luck and a Buddha for blessings. Life in the palace was like this: no matter how many grievances one held, or how much one wanted to bite a piece of meat off another in hatred, one still had to put effort into the public performance.
Of course, there are a thousand kinds of people. Where there are those good at socializing, there are those who are cynical.
Concubine Mao let out an "Oh." "Such excellent material is hard to find. The last time I saw a coral Buddha like this was with the Empress Dowager. As for the quality, that one doesn't compare to this one. No wonder Consort Gong arrived late; she truly put in the effort."
Noble Lady Qi belonged to Consort Gong’s faction, so naturally, she spoke for her mistress. She curled her lip into a smile and said, "Noble Consort’s birthday is always on Consort Gong’s mind. Every year once May begins, she selects and re-selects to see which item is best. If His Majesty’s birthday is a great day, is the Noble Consort’s not? Our Consort Gong’s heart toward the Noble Mistress is the same. Everyone in the palace knows that Consort Gong is the most meticulous and thoughtful in all matters."
This made Consort Gong feel both embarrassed and gratified.
However, once these words were out, the surrounding concubines all smiled vaguely, thinking to themselves that while Noble Lady Qi dared to boast, they didn't dare listen. Who was Consort Gong? Relying on her family's wealth and power, she had used many underhanded tactics against Noble Consort Yu. Take the last beauty selection, for example—the matter of kicking the Shang family's Old Auntie out of the running. Noble Consort Yu hadn't said a word, yet Consort Gong got all worked up. Who did she think she was?
Of course, the human heart has two sides. People were only using that incident as gossip because the Shang woman had failed the selection. If she had passed and were sitting here today, no one would ever think Consort Gong was overreaching or tyrannical.
As for Noble Consort Yu, she habitually maintained a gentle and moderate demeanor. She said with a smile, "I know Sister always remembers my birthday. It’s really nothing special; how could I let you go to such expense? I am not accepting a single gift from any of you sisters today. Living in the palace, we only have these few bits of monthly silver; to be frank, it’s not easy for anyone. Soon it will be His Majesty’s auspicious day again. My thought is that everyone should keep their things and use them to add to the fun for the Master when the time comes. Wouldn't that be livelier?"
Listen to those words—essentially, the gifts intended for her were already worthy of the Emperor.
Concubine Mao shifted her gaze. She had a temper that showed on her face; fearing that a public eye-roll would embarrass Noble Consort Yu, she simply picked up her teacup and took a sip. Two silver filigree nail guards rested against the sky-blue porcelain cup, looking very much like "half of spring has passed."
Everyone present had to give the Noble Consort face, so they all agreed and remarked on her "virtue."
Consort He remained silent, as usual stroking her white cat. This cat was accustomed to running all over the Forbidden City and was never shy. This was good; she wasn't afraid to take it out, and when it got tired of running, it would return on its own.
Bored, she fixed her gaze on Concubine Mao’s stomach. Today, Concubine Mao was wearing a moon-white Kesi waistcoat with eight roundels of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. A roundel happened to cover her lower abdomen, making it look as if a carved steel helmet were clamped over her belly.
"Your stomach is finally showing."
Consort He was always so abrupt; while others were talking about the heavens, she would suddenly talk about the earth.
Concubine Mao’s stomach was the focus of everyone’s envy. The Emperor did not flip name tags often, so heirs in the harem were not plentiful. This pregnancy of Concubine Mao’s came three years after the birth of the last prince. If it weren't for her "news," everyone would have started to doubt whether the Emperor had retired from the duty of flipping name tags altogether.
Concubine Mao smoothed her hem and smiled modestly. "Some show early, some show late. The child must grow slowly; there is no rush."
Concubine Kang chimed in, "I heard that people with round bodies show easily, while those with flat bodies often reach six months while looking only three or four months along. Sister Mao is likely a flat-bodied person."
Concubine Mao said nothing, merely smiling as she brushed the wrinkles on her lap.
Concubine Kang, feeling snubbed, turned to Noble Consort Yu. "Today is Noble Consort’s birthday; surely His Majesty remembers?"
In truth, with so many women in the palace, the Emperor was rarely willing to spend such thought. However, as the Noble Consort managing the harem, if she were treated no differently than an ordinary concubine, she would feel humiliated.
She gave an "Aye" and was about to say some smooth words when the eunuch guarding the door called out "Report" through the window. "Man Fu, from His Majesty’s side, has brought a message."
The concubines immediately became as if they had been injected with chicken blood, straightening their bodies and craning their necks.
The eunuchs of the Imperial presence were extremely respectable. With a humble smile, he entered and bowed. "Greetings to the Noble Consort, and greetings to all the Mistresses. I am here by His Majesty’s command to bring a message to Noble Consort Yu. Today is your auspicious day; after His Majesty finishes the daily lectures, he intends to come here and sit for a while. Noble Consort, please make preparations to receive the Imperial presence."
¹ Liyi (Benefit): The Lotus Sutra states that the name of the Buddha of Infinite Life (Amitayus) brings "benefit" (liyi) regarding the great matter of cause and condition.
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