Chapter 280 The Emperor's Disappointment
After the emperor and empress reconciled, there were no more people in the harem who dared to provoke Narcissus.
The successive failures of Lady Liu and Consort Wan have made everyone in the harem realize that Narcissus's position is no longer something they can shake.
However, this does not mean that Narcissus's life was absolutely comfortable.
Where there are people, there will be friction. Now that they no longer bother her, as the Empress, Shui Xian still has to deal with the friction between the concubines.
Lihe Palace.
It was another morning meeting, and sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the auspicious floral carpet in the inner room.
The concubines sat in order of rank, but now that Shui Xian was the Empress, they could no longer simply choose not to come.
Unlike when Narcissus was the Imperial Noble Consort, the morning meetings are now packed with people every day. Whether they are of high or low rank, no one wants to cause trouble by neglecting the Empress's morning meetings.
Today, the Imperial Household Department received a new batch of Moonlight Soft Satin from Jiangnan. Its texture is as light and soft as smoke, and its luster is as lustrous as flowing moonlight. It is an extremely rare material, and the quantity is limited.
According to past practice, such tributes were usually given priority to high-ranking concubines and those who were favored, while low-ranking concubines rarely saw them.
However, today's dispute is precisely between two low-ranking concubines.
Shen Daying came from a family of local prefects. Although her father's official position was not top-notch, he was still a figure of great influence in the region, which fostered her somewhat arrogant and spoiled nature.
Today, she took a fancy to the light blue moon-shine satin that had been sent to their palace, and felt that it perfectly complemented her newly learned makeup.
The other Hu Yingying came from a scholarly family, but unfortunately her family had fallen on hard times, and she was also a bit gentle in nature.
She also took a fancy to the same piece of silk, not to compete with others, but for other reasons.
Since there was no principal seat in Chuxiu Palace for the time being, the matter came to the attention of Shuixian.
“Sister Hu,” Shen said sarcastically, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the people around to hear, “I’ve noticed that you usually only like to stay indoors reading, writing, playing the zither, and painting, and you mostly wear plain colors. This Moonlight Soft Satin is so bright and beautiful, if it were made into a dress and worn on you, I’m afraid… well, it would be a bit too eye-catching, and not beautiful at all.”
She sneered, "Why not give it to me? That would be making the best use of this fine material, wouldn't it?"
Her words, though seemingly a suggestion, were actually a veiled criticism that Consort Hu was unworthy of wearing such fine fabric.
Hu Ying's eyes reddened slightly at her words. She was not good with words to begin with, and she was even more embarrassed at this moment. She just stood up and spoke in a weak but stubborn voice.
"Your Majesty, please understand... This satin is not something I sought for myself. It is truly... truly because I heard that Your Majesty the Empress Dowager's birthday is approaching. Since Your Majesty is a devout Buddhist, I thought that if I could obtain this soft satin, I could embroider a prayer flag to be offered before the Buddha, as a small token of my filial piety..."
Her words made Shen Yingda's earlier fuss seem rather petty.
Consort Jing, seated at the head of the table, slowly fiddled with the lid of her teacup, remaining silent as if she were an outsider.
Consort De put down her teacup and gently smoothed things over, saying, "We are all sisters in the harem, why ruin our harmony over a mere piece of cloth? Her Majesty the Empress will make her own decision."
All eyes were focused on the narcissus seated on the phoenix throne.
Shui Xian remained calm, her gaze sweeping over Shen Daying's smug face, then over Hu Daying's efforts to maintain her dignity, and finally looking at the Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department standing to the side.
She did not directly judge who was right or wrong, but instead asked in a calm voice, "Chief Steward, according to the old palace custom, how should such tributes be distributed?"
The head of the Imperial Household Department hurriedly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, according to the old custom, such rare tributes are usually selected based on rank, seniority in entering the palace, and the preferences of each palace mistress. The Imperial Household Department will draft a list and submit it to Her Majesty the Empress or the Emperor for review and reward."
Narcissus nodded slightly, paused for a moment, then looked at everyone in the hall again, her voice clear and steady:
"Old precedents are the foundation, and following them can avoid many disputes. However, times change, and there should also be a spirit of encouragement and upward mobility within the palace."
She first set the tone, then changed the subject: "The Empress Dowager is a devout Buddhist, and Consort Hu has such filial piety. Her feelings are commendable, and her aspirations are worthy of emulation."
Consort Shen's expression changed slightly, thinking that the Empress was going to favor Lady Hu.
But then Shui Xian continued, "As for Consort Shen... since you feel that things should be used to their fullest potential, your words are not without reason. I will give you, and all the sisters in the palace, a chance."
She turned to the head of the Imperial Household Department and ordered, "Immediately take stock of the exact number of soft satin items remaining after this batch has been put into storage. Apart from the usual rewards to high-ranking concubines, I intend to use the Empress Dowager's birthday as an opportunity to hold a small-scale palace needlework competition for the remaining items."
Her gaze swept over the concubines in the hall who were of lower rank and rarely had the opportunity to stand out, and her voice rose slightly.
"Anyone who is interested may register to participate. At that time, I and several concubines will jointly judge the entries. The winner will not only receive a silk brocade as a reward, but if the design is ingenious and the embroidery is outstanding, I will also present it to the Empress Dowager for her inspection, so as to make the Empress Dowager smile."
Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent for a moment, followed by a low murmur of discussion.
Many of the lower-ranking concubines had a look of eager anticipation in their eyes.
The Empress's move has given them an incredible opportunity!
Not only could they obtain precious materials, but they also had the opportunity to appear before the Empress Dowager.
Consort Shen's face turned pale and then red. She had originally intended to use her family background to gain an advantage, but the Empress had turned a jealous rivalry into a fair competition with such ease.
If she persists, she will only appear unreasonable and less capable than the other person.
She could only bite her lip and kowtow reluctantly: "Your Majesty the Empress... is fair, your concubine... obeys the decree."
Narcissus nodded slightly, said no more, and turned to deal with other palace affairs.
She cleverly used the rules to defuse a potential conflict, not only quelling the dispute but also greatly encouraging the atmosphere in the palace, shifting the concubines' attention from vying for favor and jealousy to improving their own talents.
This insightful understanding of human nature and wisdom in balancing all parties drew a moment of admiration from many of the concubines present, including Consort Jing, who had been observing from the sidelines.
A few days later, one afternoon.
The sun was shining brightly, and the Imperial Garden was filled with blooming flowers, all bathed in a warm, pleasant breeze.
After dealing with a batch of urgent matters, Emperor Zhaoheng strolled into the garden to relax.
From afar, one could hear Yongning's clear, cheerful laughter, like the tinkling of silver bells, mixed with the babbling of children learning to speak.
He looked in the direction of the sound and saw that in the hexagonal pavilion not far away, Narcissus was sitting on a stone bench with a stone table in front of her, covered with brightly colored fabrics and colorful silk threads.
There are also some fragrant herbs such as mugwort and calamus.
Almost two years old Yongning, dressed in a pink dress, looked like a lively little butterfly. She lay on the stone table, her little hands curiously grasping an unfinished sachet filled with cotton and herbs.
She mumbled incoherently, "Xiang...Xiang...Mother...Xiangxiang..."
The nearly one-year-old twins, Qingyan and Qinghe, were placed on a thick velvet carpet in the center of the pavilion.
The two little ones, dressed in matching royal blue jackets, were trying to sit up or reach out their chubby little hands to grab the colorful tassels that dangled from the edge of the table, which daffodils used to decorate sachets.
The wet nurses and nannies carefully protected them, afraid that they might bump into something.
Narcissus, with her head bowed and focused, held a pair of exquisite silver scissors in her hand, carefully cutting a piece of bright yellow satin embroidered with delicate dragon patterns into appropriately sized pieces.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dancing on her lowered eyes and nimble fingers, creating a serene and beautiful scene.
Emperor Zhaoheng's heart softened instantly; the frustration he had just experienced due to court affairs seemed to have been dispelled by this heartwarming scene.
He walked over quietly and sat down naturally in the empty seat next to Narcissus.
"What are you doing?"
He picked up a piece of bright yellow satin that had been cut off; it felt soft and smooth to the touch.
Narcissus looked up when she heard the voice, and when she saw it was him, a gentle smile naturally appeared in her eyes.
"I was thinking of making some sachets for the children to repel mosquitoes and ward off evil spirits. Yongning insisted on having a rabbit design, while Qingyan and Qinghe would have a dragon design, which would perfectly match their zodiac signs."
Emperor Zhaoheng looked at the small pieces of fabric and silk thread on the table, then at Yongning who was gazing longingly at the sachets and his lively sons on the blanket, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
Although he was not good at needlework and had never even touched a needle and thread, he picked up a thin needle with black thread on it as if by some strange impulse, and then picked up two small obsidian beads to be used as eyes, his posture calm and composed.
Emperor Zhaoheng's every move was devoid of any effeminate air; instead, he exuded the focused and handsome charm of an ordinary father caring for his children.
"I will sew up the little dragon's eyes."
He said it in a tentative tone, but with a hint of genuine seriousness.
Narcissus was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting him to take the initiative to participate.
Seeing his slightly clumsy way of holding the needle and thread, her smile deepened and turned into a gentle smile.
She didn't try to stop him, but leaned slightly forward and carefully instructed him: "Your Majesty, start the needle here, yes, don't pull the thread too tight, otherwise the fabric will wrinkle... Yes, just like that..."
The emperor and empress sat side by side in the pavilion, one patiently teaching and the other diligently learning.
She would occasionally whisper a few words, the content of which had nothing to do with politics, but only with how to make the little sachet in her hand more exquisite and lovely.
Sunlight filtered through the lush foliage, casting dappled shadows on them. Children played and frolicked nearby, while wet nurses and palace maids stood quietly by.
This scene creates a heartwarming picture full of everyday life.
Emperor Zhaoheng was immersed in this rare tranquility and warmth, and felt all the fatigue of the past few days vanish.
However, this tranquility did not last long.
A deputy chief steward of the Imperial Household Department, carrying account books, cautiously came to inquire about several details of the specific arrangements for the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration.
Immediately afterwards, the head palace maid from Consort Jing's palace also came on orders to inquire about how the specific standards for the talent assessment in the regulations for the soon-to-be-established women's official academy should be defined.
Seeing this, Narcissus had no choice but to put down her needlework for the time being.
The gentle smile on her face hadn't faded, but her eyes instantly became focused.
Narcissus calmly responded to the two people's requests, her words clear and concise, and she arranged the complex matters in an orderly manner with just a few words.
Her regal bearing was completely different from her gentle and loving motherly demeanor just moments before.
Emperor Zhaoheng watched from the side, still holding the unfinished little dragon sachet in his hand, with only one eye sewn on.
The warmth I felt just now was quietly replaced by the slight restlessness caused by the constant interruptions from these tasks.
He looked at Shui Xian's profile as she focused on handling palace affairs, and couldn't help but think to himself.
...If this were just an ordinary couple, the wife would be focused on sewing clothes for the child, while the husband might be reading a book or playing with the child...
The thought had just arisen, and I hadn't even had a chance to fully savor the imagined tranquility.
Another head maid came to inquire about the specific details of the palace's budget-saving measures for the next quarter...
Emperor Zhaoheng remained calm, showing no emotion whatsoever.
He silently looked down at the sachet in his hand, a sense of helplessness involuntarily rising in his mind.
A few thoughts welled up uncontrollably in his mind...
These endless palace affairs occupied the precious time that should have belonged to him and his children.
At this moment, similar thoughts became increasingly clear.
His heart, which had just felt warm and comforted, seemed to be faintly filled with... an indescribable sense of loss.
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