Chapter 27: Meeting
"I have something I want to ask He Ji," Sun Wei said. "I went to the Buddhist temple in the southeast of the palace to worship Buddha. I found the doors and windows closed, the incense burners tied up, and no one inside or outside cleaning. I heard that this temple belongs to the rear residence. I wonder if it has been abandoned in the past?"
A trace of displeasure flashed across He Ji's face.
"This Buddhist temple isn't abandoned," He Ji said. "It was originally built for the late king's wife. After I entered the palace, the late king handed over the temple and the rear quarters to me, and the temple was only for my use. In the past, this temple always had people serving and offering incense. A few months ago, the late king passed away, and the palace was busy and short-staffed, so I asked the people in the temple to serve elsewhere."
Sun Wei nodded: "Do you have a list of servants in the palace?"
He Ji's lips curved up as she said, "Yes, there are, but the rules set by the late king dictate that servants and maids in all parts of the palace must be assigned according to the rules and have a fixed number. The servants in the Buddhist hall were originally in the front hall, but were transferred back due to the funeral. If the princess wants to familiarize herself with the number and names of the servants and maids in each area, this list of servants and maids might be more helpful."
This was quite rude, and many concubines looked at each other and exchanged glances.
He Ji remained calm and continued, "As for the Buddhist temple, it wouldn't be difficult for the princess to recruit servants. The late king had quite a few maids in my courtyard, and I always said that it was absolutely wrong to go beyond the rules. But the late king said that I was in charge of the harem and was performing the duties of the mistress, so it was only right for me to follow the rules..."
As she spoke, her voice choked with sobs. She lowered her head and wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, then continued, "The late king treated me with great trust and kindness. Before he left, he told me that I was indispensable in this palace. He also said that when the princess returned, he wanted me to continue to manage the internal affairs and assist her. I never thought that he would abandon us like this and never return..."
These words were spoken in a sad tone, and the concubines all lowered their heads, sighed, and wiped their hands.
Sun Wei looked at He Ji and took a sip of tea.
——
"This He Ji is a bit too arrogant." After the concubines left, A'ru complained, "I heard from the eunuchs that there has always been a lot of jealousy in the harem, and she is the one who stirs up trouble the most. From what I saw today, she is definitely not a good person! Everyone else is respectful, but she dares to be so in front of the princess. Princess, please don't give in in front of her, or she will give the villain the upper hand!"
Sun Wei said, "The late princess passed away early, so someone has to take care of the affairs of the harem. He Ji was the most favored, so it makes sense for the late king to hand over the harem to her. There are more than twenty concubines in the palace. If she doesn't have a strong personality, how can she keep them in check?"
A'ru snorted and said, "This Prince Yuzhang actually has so many concubines. What a pervert he is."
Sun Wei took a sip of tea and said, "Do you think the prince wouldn't mind the trouble?"
After saying that, she looked at the sky outside and asked, "Is the prince back?"
"Not yet."
Sun Wei nodded, returned to the Buddhist hall, lit a stick of incense, and continued copying the scriptures.
At dusk, the eunuch came to report that Sima Jun had returned.
She stopped writing, stood up, and walked towards the hall with Aju.
"What kind of person is the Prince of Yuzhang?" A'ru asked. "I heard that the people of the royal family have bad tempers and are not easy to mess with."
"Don't worry." Sun Wei said, "Although the prince is serious, he never criticizes his servants."
A'ru blinked and asked, "Didn't the princess just meet him for the first time yesterday? He seems very confident."
Sun smiled faintly and didn't answer.
When they reached the front hall, Sima Jun had already returned.
When the prince saw him coming on horseback, he gave him an oiled coat.
The rain was so heavy that my head inevitably got wet.
Sima Jun wiped his face with the towel handed by Cao Song, and when he looked up, he saw a woman in plain clothes holding an umbrella walking towards him from a distance. In the mist and rain, she looked like a painting.
"Your Highness is back." She walked up to him, bowed, and said with a smile.
Sima Jun looked at her and nodded slightly: "I wonder where the madam came from?"
"I just burned incense at your father's memorial tablet in the Buddhist temple, praying for him to protect the prince and bless him to ward off disasters."
Sima Jun's brows twitched.
The words "your father" made him feel very uncomfortable. They seemed to be spoken with great sincerity, but they came from a woman younger than him.
A seventeen-year-old doesn't know what being a parent is. She is just pretending to be profound and acting like a stepmother in front of him.
Sima Jun handed the towel in his hand to the attendant and said slowly: "Oh? I heard that the lady has been staying in the Buddhist temple since I left. It turns out she has been burning incense."
How could Sun Wei not hear the sarcasm in these words?
Sima Jun was not a gullible person. From the moment he met her until now, he had never called her "Princess Princess" or "Mother," which showed that he still had doubts. He only let her stay in the mansion for the sake of the Crown Prince's face. However, she acted like a concubine taking care of her son, which was somewhat annoying to him.
Sun Wei looked calm, "Not entirely. Today, the late king's concubines came to pay their respects, and I went to the hall to receive their greetings. Besides that, I also copied some sutras. Your father loved the Diamond Sutra the most, and he copied it himself, but unfortunately he passed away before he could finish it, leaving only the fragments in the Buddhist temple. I will continue copying from your father's leftovers, hoping to fulfill his wish."
Sima Juan said calmly, "So that's how it is. Madam is thoughtful."
At this time, the eunuch in the palace came to report that breakfast was ready.
Sima Jun looked at Sun Wei and said, "I wonder if Madam has had her dinner yet."
Sun Wei said: "Not yet."
Sima Jun said nothing, but had the table served in the hall and had dinner with Sun Wei.
Logically, Sun Wei was a step-concubine and Sima Jun was his stepson, so she should be treated with the respect of mother and son.
But when they arrived in the hall, Sima Jun sat directly at the top seat, and Sun Wei sat like a guest.
Sun Wei didn't care and sat down below.
The palace was in mourning and alcohol, meat and other non-vegetarian food were prohibited. The food served was light rice porridge and side dishes.
Sun Wei washed his hands and picked up his chopsticks to eat.
Sima Jun glanced at her and saw that she ate in an elegant manner, with every gesture showing the demeanor of a noble lady from the capital. She had none of the strange manners that one would expect from someone from a humble background.
The more I look at it, the more it seems incongruous.
"The prince has entrusted me to express my gratitude to the lady," Sima Jun said suddenly.
Sun Wei raised his eyes and put down his chopsticks.
"I wonder what the prince wants to thank you for?"
Sima Jun said, "Yesterday in the Tongwen Hall of the Eastern Palace, Madam mentioned that there was something strange about a pillar in the hall. This morning, that pillar was struck by a thunderbolt, and a huge fire broke out. Tongwen Hall has now been reduced to ashes. The Crown Prince said that thanks to Madam's advice, he ordered the Tongwen Hall to be sealed yesterday, which saved lives."
Sun Wei was not surprised, but still showed a look of astonishment. He clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "So, fortunately and safely, the prince is blessed."
Sima Jun continued, "Fortunately, Madam happened to appear in the East Palace yesterday, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous."
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