Chapter Seven: A Different Plan
The second young lady yawned, lifted the curtain, and looked outside. The sky was bright, and the glazed tiles of the palace reflected the rising sun's rays, creating a dazzling, magnificent spectacle that left her speechless with awe.
Today is the sixth day of the lunar month, a day when imperial concubines visit their female family members.
Two days ago, the Fourth Miss sent someone to tell her that she wanted to see the Second Sister alone. Now that she was the Emperor's concubine and a favorite, the Second Miss had no choice but to get up at dawn and wait at the Donghua Gate, no matter how unwilling she was.
Just as they were engrossed in watching, they heard the rumbling of carriage wheels approaching. Turning their heads, they saw a magnificent pine carriage slowly passing by, the red insignia of the Marquis of Yanping's residence on the carriage particularly eye-catching. As soon as the carriage stopped in front of Donghua Gate, a eunuch rushed out to greet them, bowing and scraping, saying, "Are you the Lady of the Marquis of Yanping and Miss Xie? Her Highness the Imperial Concubine requests your presence."
A low reply came from inside the carriage, and then Lady Yanping led Xie Mingyue down from the carriage and into the sedan chair. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, before getting into the sedan chair, Xie Mingyue glanced sideways at the second young lady's carriage with a contemptuous look and a hint of provocation.
Watching the two sedan chairs disappear through the palace gates, the second young lady was immediately furious. "Wasn't she supposed to be the most favored? How come it was the Xie family who entered the palace first?"
Because she was angry, her voice was a little loud. Chunyun was so anxious that she was almost sweating. Looking at the guards outside who were dressed in armor and had no expression, she said in a low voice, "Oh dear, my good girl, keep your voice down. What if someone hears us? Consort Xie has a high rank, gave birth to the eldest prince, and is now pregnant. No matter how much our fourth young lady is favored, she can't compare to her."
The second daughter glanced at her sideways and said, "You understand, but some people don't. They think they've risen to a high position and become phoenixes, and they're always bossing people around."
Chunyun knew she was using this as an excuse to make a fuss, so she didn't dare to respond.
After waiting for about half a cup of tea's time, a eunuch finally came out and invited the second young lady inside.
The second young lady suppressed her anger and got off the carriage, then sat in a sedan chair. She swayed and staggered through countless palace gates until the sedan chair stopped in front of a palace of moderate size, with the words "Guanju Palace" written on the gate.
The virtue of the osprey Guanju influences the world and rectifyes the relationship between husband and wife.
The second young lady sneered inwardly. How could the fourth young lady, who had been exchanging gifts with Xu Chuanyang in private, be worthy of talking about the virtue of Guan Ju?
Thinking this to herself, she followed the eunuch to the main hall without stopping. Several palace maids stood in the hall, and a woman with cloud-like hair was feeding a parrot on tiptoe with her back to her. She was dressed in a silver-red dress with peony patterns and wore a bright phoenix hairpin, looking exceptionally noble.
Hearing footsteps, she turned around, revealing a jade-like face, delicate eyebrows, and a pair of bright, clear eyes… radiant and beautiful, like a flower just beginning to bloom. Even though it was a face she'd seen since childhood, the second young lady was still stunned. Seeing her lost in thought, the fourth young lady didn't bother with formalities, quickly handing the golden spoon to a nearby maid, and approached with a beaming smile, taking her hand and saying, "Second sister, we've finally been waiting for you!"
The second sister then came to her senses and put on a big smile, saying, "Fourth sister, it's been four whole months since we last saw each other. I've missed you so much!" She paused, then added, "You look so beautiful dressed up like this, I almost didn't recognize you."
The fourth sister smiled and said sweetly, "Second sister is so annoying, she teases me as soon as we meet."
The second girl suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, and the smile on her face almost disappeared.
"Second sister, come, come, let's go inside and have a private chat," the fourth sister said, pulling the second sister towards the inner room. Once inside, the two simultaneously shook off each other's hands, each taking a step back, glaring at the other with disgust. After a while, the fourth sister said, "You're really bold! I'm a Xiuyi now, and you don't even show me proper etiquette."
The second girl said nonchalantly, "Do you want it? Then I'll present it to you as a gift."
"You didn't see me before, so what's the point of seeing me now? You're still as clueless as before." The fourth young lady pouted, walked gracefully to the edge of the couch, sat down, propped one elbow on the armrest, and tilted her head to look at the second young lady.
The second young lady walked to the chair opposite her and sat down, tilting her head to look at her and saying, "So you've figured it out? If you've figured it out, how come Lady Yanping arrived at Donghua Gate a step later than me, but entered the palace to see Consort Xie a step earlier?"
It's like they're rubbing salt in the wound. The Fourth Miss was still upset and couldn't help but say sarcastically, "How can you blame me for this? If you had been engaged to Xie Mingyue back then, you would have been among the first to enter the palace today."
The failed marriage to Xie Mingyue was a thorn in the Second Miss's side, especially now that the marriage was becoming increasingly difficult, the more she resented it. Her face flushed red, and she barely suppressed her anger, saying, "Speak, speak freely. I know you've always held a grudge, and you summoned me to the palace to seek revenge. Do whatever you want to vent your anger. The name of this palace is excellent, Guanju, Guanju. I'll just have a chance to broaden my horizons and see if Consort Ruan truly possesses the virtues of Guanju or the arrogance of Lü and Huo."
"Retaliation?" The fourth sister smiled disdainfully. "How could you even think of that? Do you think we're still like the children playing house, feeling uncomfortable because Grandmother praised someone more? Resentful because Grandmother gave you an extra piece of silk? I never argued or fought with you before, let alone now?"
"Don't talk about how noble and virtuous you were in the past. You didn't argue or quarrel with me, just because you knew that as a concubine's daughter, you couldn't win against me. But behind my back, you've been scheming all along. Seeing that my elder brother was honest, you always targeted him."
"Enough, enough," the fourth young lady said dejectedly. "It was a mistake of mine to invite you to the palace today. You have such good eyes, yet you only care about your own little plot of land."
The second daughter said resentfully, "Yes, I have a narrow vision, unlike you who have lofty ambitions. One of you is eyeing the Emperor, and the other is eyeing the Prince of Jin."
What does it mean to "keep an eye on the officials"?
“I know, I know. It’s the Emperor keeping an eye on you. Aren’t they all saying that the Emperor, disguised as a commoner, visited the Ruan residence and happened to encounter Consort Ruan strolling in the back garden? He was so captivated by her beauty that he fell in love at first sight.” After a pause, the second young lady said with a sneer, “Speaking of which, I’ve always wanted to ask my fourth sister, that day the weather was cold and the plum blossoms hadn’t bloomed yet, were you starving in the garden?”
"So what if it is, and so what if it isn't?"
"Not so good," the second sister said curtly. "You and the fifth sister are both very capable. I have limited vision and am ashamed to admit my inferiority."
When the conversation falls apart, the atmosphere becomes tense, like a taut thread that might snap at any moment.
The fourth sister remained silent for a moment, then asked, "How is my fifth sister now?"
"She's doing very well, it couldn't be better," the second daughter said again, her tone less than pleasant. "A filial daughter who has been commended by the Emperor."
"I'm not asking about the one at Yuxu Temple, I'm asking about Fifth Sister, where is she now?"
The second daughter looked at her incredulously and said, "You didn't know? Isn't it said that the Emperor dotes on you the most now? He hasn't even told you that?"
The fourth sister was silent for a moment, then shook her head and said, "No, I haven't seen the Emperor for more than twenty days."
The second young lady was taken aback, her anger subsiding slightly. Although she disliked the fourth young lady, she understood that now that the fourth young lady was in the palace, her fate was tied to that of the Ruan family—their fortunes were intertwined, and their losses were shared. "What happened? Isn't it rumored that you are deeply favored, and that Consort Xie even suffered a miscarriage because of it?"
The fourth sister sneered and said, "Second sister, do you know who spread these rumors?"
"who?"
"It was Consort Xie who spread the word." The fourth young lady gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with hatred.
"Her?" The second young lady frowned in confusion. "Why? Who would contradict themselves?"
“Of course, ordinary people wouldn’t do that, but she’s no ordinary person.” The Fourth Sister said with a mixture of admiration and hatred, “Her move of slapping herself in the face was truly brilliant. The Empress Dowager already disliked me because of the Fifth Sister’s affair with the Prince of Jin, so she was naturally even angrier, saying that I was a seductive vixen and spoiled by the Emperor’s favor. She also forbade the Emperor from summoning me and made me copy the ‘Taishang Laojun’s Classic of Purity and Tranquility’ ten times a day to cultivate my mind and character.”
"I see." The second young lady suddenly understood, and a feeling of pity arose within her. "Then what will you do?"
"What else can we do? We'll just have to take it one step at a time." After a pause, the fourth sister asked in a low voice, "Second sister, weren't you very close to Xie Mingzhu before? Did she tell you about Consort Xie?"
The second young lady then understood the purpose of her summoning her to the palace. After thinking carefully for a moment, she said, "She did say some things, but they were all compliments. She said that she was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, well-versed in poetry and literature, eloquent, and had a refined and elegant style. By the age of fourteen, she was already famous, and many people came to propose marriage. By the way, it is said that she is a very good chess player, and the Emperor and she became acquainted through chess."
How did you two become friends through chess?
"Xie Mingzhu said that once, she was playing chess with Marquis Yanping when the Emperor suddenly arrived. She didn't have time to leave and had to hide behind a screen. The Emperor saw that the game was only halfway through, with a corner formation, so he took her piece and continued the game. She peeked from behind the screen and saw that Marquis Yanping was about to lose. She wrote a note and had a maid deliver it to him. Then Marquis Yanping turned the tables and won. The Emperor admired her skill and asked to play a game with her…that's how they met." She paused, then continued, "Mingzhu also said that at that time, the Emperor had not yet ascended the throne; he was only the Third Prince. He originally wanted to marry Consort Xie as his principal wife, but the Empress Dowager insisted on marrying Empress Zhao. Consort Xie was heartbroken and cut her hairpin to show her resolve. No matter how Marquis Yanping and his wife tried to persuade her, she refused to marry, staying at home and spending her days reading and playing chess. After the Emperor ascended the throne, moved by her unwavering affection, he finally issued an edict to bring her into the palace."
If the Fourth Miss hadn't heard this story before entering the palace, she might have been moved by Consort Xie's unwavering devotion. However, after entering the palace, the thought that Consort Xie's devoted love was also for her own beloved filled her with a feeling of utter disgust, like swallowing a fly. Moreover, Consort Xie's determination not to marry was clearly not a decision made by one person alone, but by two.
"That's all we have," the second young lady said apologetically. "Consort Xie is ten years older than Xie Mingzhu. When she entered the palace, Xie Mingzhu was only nine years old. There are many things she doesn't remember."
The fourth sister composed herself and said with a smile, "It's alright, I'm already very happy that my second sister is willing to chat with me like this."
Seeing her suddenly become affectionate, the second young lady sat up straight warily and said, "Just say what you want to say, don't try to be all warm and friendly with me."
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