Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty-Eight

These past few days the court had been busy with the Kunming delegation’s audience, and Grand-Aunt, the Imperial Grandmother, was in exceptionally good spirits.

The Hall of Eternal Life was hosting a banquet for the envoys; I slipped away, cradling Yonghui and taking her out of the Eastern Palace, heading toward Qingyang Lake. Yonghui nestled in her thick fur coat, her black eyes wandering around without a trace of shyness—nothing like the awkwardness I felt when I first entered the palace. As Master Yijing said, she truly has the bearing of someone born to wealth and rank.

Seeing she was drowsy, I sat down and was wondering whether she was hungry or tired when I noticed my uncle striding over from a distance, his face showing a hidden anger. When he saw me, his pace faltered and he unexpectedly changed course, coming toward us.

As he drew near I felt something was off and signaled Xia Zhi and Dong Yang to move farther away. I rose and bowed. “Prince.” Wu Sansi lowered his eyes and said to me, “My little niece is in a merry mood—yet when everyone else is entertaining the envoys, you come off to stroll here.” He smiled, but couldn’t hide the harshness on his face.

I shook my head and smiled. “Yonghui is still small. I feared she might be startled in a crowded place.”

Wu Sansi brushed aside the people at his side, took Yonghui over, and teased, “Good thing we avoided it, otherwise we’d really have been frightened. At the court today, the ministers voluntarily asked to be punished; outside the Changsheng Hall there’s a sea of people kneeling—where are the flutes and dances now?” My heart skipped, and I asked in surprise, “The envoys came from Cangshan and Erhai; why are our ministers making a disturbance now? What great crime could there be to choose this moment to seek death?”

Wu Sansi took the opportunity to sit and said, “Not to seek death, but to seize life. The Duke of Zhou ruined an entire family over a dancer; if this matter is pursued, won’t it lead straight to Lai Junchen? With repeated investigations, half the court might turn out to be Lai Junchen’s cronies. The ministers petitioned together: if they side with Lai Junchen, they’ll die alone; if they oppose him, their nine generations will be exterminated. So they compromised to save their clans. The emperor immediately had Lai Junchen seized, and in seven days he’ll be executed in the market.”

When I heard this, his anger became clearer to me.

First Di Renjie returned to the court, then pointed directly at Lai Junchen; half the senior ministers in the court prostrated and confessed. If it weren’t for the Li family backing him, they would never have dared offend the emperor so. Superficially the loss is just the harsh official Lai Junchen, but what truly angers him is likely that the Li family can, without a sound, pull half the court’s officials and shake the position the Wu family has held all along.

Wu Sansi took Yonghui’s hand and held his fingers, saying, “A mere Lai Junchen, and I have fulfilled his wish,” he glanced at me, a glint of sharpness hidden in his eyes, “consider it some small consolation for his unfulfilled desires.”

I met his gaze, and under this gentle morning sun a chill began to rise along my spine; what he was referring to was the secret I had risked my life to bury.

At that moment, Yonghui suddenly began cooing, reaching out for me to hold her. I quickly stretched out my hand and smiled as I took her, saying, “Uncle, don’t be so worked up. She’s just a stranger by marriage. I heard the envoy from Kunming brought many tribute items — was there anything remarkable?”

Wu Sansi tapped his finger and smoothed the creased sleeve, saying, “Cangshan and Erhai are famous for woodcarving. The emperor gifted the most astonishing thousand-petaled lotus carving to the Princess of Linzi today, but I heard Longji sent it to your palace. What — haven’t you seen it yet?”

When he mentioned it, I remembered the wood carving delivered this morning and hadn’t realized there was more to it. I only smiled and made no reply.

He saw me stay silent, chuckled and said, “Longji was the most rakish when young, his momentum even outshone Chengqi of old. Put the two side by side now, they’re almost evenly matched.”

Seeing him drop hint after hint, I knew he wouldn’t let this go. After a moment of silence I said, “Yongan understands that Uncle deliberately favored and covered things up back then. But how could palace affairs have escaped the Empress Dowager’s notice? Yongan has long since awakened and only wishes to cherish the one in front of him. The past has been forgotten.”

Since he already held this as leverage, it was better to lay it all bare. That day in the hall there were only Yongtai and me; even Wan’er was only admitted when the edict was issued. No matter how great his skills, he could hardly prove otherwise. It was better to pin it on him—let him be half convinced, then reconsider that imperial edict and surely he would find it suspicious.

If the crime of defying the edict were framed that way, the Empress Dowager only stripped Li Chengqi of a title, showing clear favoritism toward the Li family. As for him, there would be more caution and one less bargaining chip—nothing but advantage.

He smiled as usual and nodded, saying, “If you put it that way, then I suppose my mind is at ease.” I looked at him and said softly, “After all, he’s still a legitimate grandson—if he ends up with the Empress Dowager, at worst it’s just a youthful flirtation.” Seeing him fall silent, I glanced at Yonghui, whose eyes were closed with fatigue, and bowed. “If Your Grace has no further matters, Yong’an will take his leave.”

He inclined his head and cast a glance at Yonghui. “Another beauty in the making—Prince of Linzi is truly fortunate.”

The road back to the palace was still long, and Yonghui slept deeply. Afraid of waking her, I simply told Dongyang to have tea and snacks prepared, and we stopped in a warm pavilion by the river. I cradled her again and sat with her.

After a while, rain began to fall, and it was steadily getting heavier.

A small boat drifted over the river. From afar I saw two eunuchs holding umbrellas, hurrying to bring two young maidens ashore; behind them four palace maids were drenched through, with nothing to shield them — it seemed they had not prepared for the outing and could only stand in the rain.

Nearby there was only a single warm pavilion to shelter from the rain; in no time at all they had already reached the outside of it.

When the two maidens entered the pavilion they both looked up at me in unison. Their brows and features were finely charming, and they looked remarkably alike. I noticed their skirts had a southern style and their hair was coiled in reverse buns, carrying an old Qinghe elegance. I gradually understood who they were, stood, and bowed, saying, “Wu-shi greets the two madams.”

They exchanged a glance; the older one smiled and said, “So this is our younger brother’s new favorite.”

Her smile carried fine, prickly needles that made me grin bitterly. The five clans and seven surnames have intermarried since ancient times; the pair of Cui sisters Li Chengqi newly took in were said to be Wang Huan’s cousins, and now, from the tone of what was said, it was indeed true.

I smiled faintly and didn’t answer.

The two of them glanced at each other again; the younger one shot me a look and instructed her attendant beside her, “Let those outside come in—it’s not good to stand in the rain like this.” The palace attendant holding an umbrella froze for a moment, glanced at me hastily. This warm pavilion was small, barely enough for five or six people; with Xia Zhi and me inside and these two added, there were already six standing outside—how could they all fit?

The attendant hesitated, then said softly, “We don’t mind; as long as the madams don’t get wet.” Young Mistress Cui smiled at me and said, “Then poor sister will have to be inconvenienced.”

I had expected as much and only smiled, saying, “Never mind, they’re soaked through too, better to keep out of it.” Her rank was above mine, and she was the daughter of a prominent family; even if she wanted me to stand out in the rain, I could say nothing.

I signaled to Xiazhi to hold the umbrella and stepped to the eaves outside the pavilion, leaving the warm shelter to them.

Xiazhi quietly asked whether we should reveal the little commandery princess’s identity and get them to give up the pavilion. I shook my head and stayed silent — at Changsheng Hall things were in upheaval, and we needed to be even more careful here. The palace was full of the Empress Dowager’s eyes and ears; if even a small squabble here reached Changsheng Hall, who knew how it would be spun.

The Cui sisters were his concubines; if anything went wrong, it would always drag him into it.

Half an hour passed and the rain hadn’t let up at all. I worried Yonghui would suddenly wake hungry and fretted over how to get back, when I heard someone call my name not far off. Looking up, I saw several princes — likely scattered from their kneeling when the downpour began — and now they were finally able to return to the palace.

Li Longji’s face was still wearing a smile, but it had frozen there; he snatched the umbrella from the attendant and strode over. Li Chengyi pulled Li Chengqi aside and said a few words; Li Chengqi glanced at me, nodded, and came toward me as well. He wasn’t as quick as Li Longji, but his smile had faded, his eyes deep and unreadable—neither clearly pleased nor angry.

Only then did everyone in the pavilion notice the newcomers, and a chorus of greetings rose up in turns.

“Who are you sulking with? Standing outside the pavilion in this heavy rain—what are you doing?” Li Longji grabbed my arm and scolded in a low voice. “Get inside now!” I hadn’t been angry at first, but his reprimand irritated me; I shot him a glare. He was taken aback by my look, felt my hand, and his voice softened: “You’re freezing—come in first.” I had meant to leave, but seeing him like that I couldn’t hold my ground, and so I followed him into the pavilion.

The Cui sisters were still half bowing when he glanced at them and said, “Stand up.” Then he took the Yonghui from my arms and added, “I’ll hold her for a while—go warm yourself by the brazier. You wrapped her up tightly enough; you’re the one wearing so little.”

He was a clever man; seeing those two he could have guessed most of it, so he didn’t continue to press further. At that moment, Li Chengqi was walking into the pavilion. He glanced at me coolly, noticed my skirt and shoes were soaked, and frowned slightly.

A small ache rose in my chest. Smiling, I bowed and said, “Your Highness.”

He inclined his head and said mildly, “Rise.”

I stood and went over to the brazier. All the composure I’d held a moment ago was already gone. It occurred to me that this was the first time I’d seen him since I married into the Eastern Palace — and yet, ten or more days had already passed since then.

Li Chengqi glanced at the sleeping Yonghui, then turned to look at the Cui sisters and said in a deep voice, “Kneel!”

The Cui sisters were briefly stunned, then immediately dropped to their knees, eyes full of fear.