Chapter 51 Clouds Falling (Part 5) "Mother parting from son, son parting from mother, white..."
As midsummer progresses, the heat intensifies, and the sun grows stronger each day. Only the mornings and evenings remain relatively cool, coinciding with the lush greenery and the gentle breeze that carries a refreshing fragrance.
In the backyard of the Eastern Palace, Prince Chang Le, Yan Fei, was swinging on a swing, with Shu Ying standing beside him pushing him up. Yan Fei was having a great time, sometimes giggling, sometimes unable to help but scream, while the palace servants around him were terrified and kept chattering incessantly.
Recently, Yan Fei has been visiting the Eastern Palace more frequently.
The reason was that he was studying in the Wenhua Hall, which was close to the East Palace, and he would often hide there to avoid his studies. Once, when Yan Chao was in a good mood, he asked Liang Lu to build him a swing. Even the palace servants around him said that he was happier playing in the East Palace than in the Zhaoyang Hall.
The palace courtyard only came alive as soon as Yan Fei entered.
He even walks with a swagger. According to the palace servants who attend to him, Yan Fei is extremely well-behaved in Zhaoyang Palace. He is always more intelligent in front of the emperor, but he becomes more lively and agile when he goes to the East Palace.
Yan Chao wasn't offended. Although she had suspicions about Madam Sun, she wouldn't let them extend to a child. Besides, even if she suspected Yan Fei, a child wouldn't be so unsupervised as to allow him to take advantage of a loophole.
Xiao Jiu happened to return to the palace and leaned against the railing, watching Yan Fei and Shu Ying having a good time. He smiled slightly and hummed softly:
"...Swinging on the swing, swinging on the swing, the swing swings past the red walls, the swing swings past the stream and bridge, under the moon in the south tower, a lotus-like face, a line written into the tale of longing..."
Hearing the song, Shuying temporarily left Yan Fei and went to Xiao Jiu's side. Her face flushed, she asked him curiously, "What is Grandpa Xiao Jiu singing? Can you teach me?"
“No,” Xiao Jiu tilted her head, crossed her arms, and gave a soft hum, “My sister only sings for me, I won’t sing for anyone else.”
He glanced at Shuying, who was looking downcast, a tiny, inconspicuous snow-white flower tucked behind her ear. Xiao Jiu asked softly, "The Xu family matriarch is practically your stepmother, don't you need to go home to observe mourning?"
“She killed my mother, I’m not going back. Besides, even Eunuch Lan is indifferent, so what about me?”
Xiao Jiu clicked her tongue lightly; she actually had the audacity to drag Lan Huaien into this.
"Oh, I haven't thanked you for lending me the umbrella last time, Father-in-law. You must have gotten soaked in that heavy rain..." She blamed herself, and later completely forgot about it. The umbrella is still in the room, washed clean.
"It's nothing. You're alone in the palace too. If you need any help, just tell me, and I'll do my best to help."
"Thank you, but no need. I know the Crown Prince's Palace never gets entangled with other palaces, and I don't want to make things difficult for you." She shook her head, glancing out of the corner of her eye that Yan Fei had already gotten off the swing, and hurried over to take care of him.
Xiao Jiu pursed his lips, gazing at the horizon where the sky was clear and gentle, with lingering clouds. He erased the image of that beautiful girl from his mind, thinking to himself that he understood the stakes and that he would always stand on His Highness's side, no matter what.
Yan Fei went to see Yan Chao in the front hall after he had finished playing.
Yan Chao thought he was about to take his leave, but to her surprise, he sat there rather reservedly for a long time, his dark eyes fixed on her, and he seemed about to speak several times but then stopped.
Yan Chao glanced at his small hands twisting his clothes and asked gently, "Is there anything else?"
"My mother told me to spend more time with my sixth uncle."
He answered with his head down, his heart inexplicably racing.
This morning, his mother said a bunch of nonsensical things, and then asked him to go to the East Palace after class to deliver a message to his sixth uncle. He could sense that his mother seemed to have ulterior motives, so he couldn't help but worry that those words might displease his sixth uncle, which was why she had delayed until now.
Yan Chao pushed the pastries towards him: "Why are you keeping me company? It would be better for you to play with your aunts than to stay here with me."
Yan Fei remained silent, only mentioning that he was a little tired and wanted to sit for a while longer. Yan Chao nodded, instructed the eunuch Fifteen to look after him, and then turned and went to his study.
A moment later, Fifteen went in to report that Yan Fei was really bored and asked for a book. Yan Chao put down his pen and sighed softly, "Let him come over."
Then Yan Fei was forced to read for half an hour while being watched by Yan Chao.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the child's forehead was damp with sweat, and his eyes began to dart restlessly around. Fifteen kindly fanned him, but it wasn't the weather that was making him anxious.
Their eyes met briefly, and Yan Fei guiltily looked away, quickly shifting his gaze to the densely packed words. But after looking at those ink characters for a while, they felt like countless messy little insects, making his head ache.
Suddenly, Yan Chao said, "If you don't understand anything, you can ask me."
"I……"
Yan Chao stood up, walked over, and pulled the book out of the book in front of him, noticing that he hadn't flipped through it much. Looking at his face, she saw a slight blush, a mixture of shyness and guilt.
She lowered her head, looking down at him calmly: "Still won't you tell me? Did your sister-in-law send you? What does she want with you?"
Children can't hide anything, and his eyes widened immediately, shocked and pale.
He was startled by Yan Chao's slightly cold tone, and his heart pounded like a rabbit's. He looked up at her for a moment, then suddenly stood up, but lost his balance and swayed, falling half-heartedly. He then took a few steps back and knelt down.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as soon as she opened her mouth, and she stammered, "Sixth Uncle... Mother really just wanted me to keep you company because she was worried you'd be bored..."
Yan Chao sighed softly, reached out to help him up, and took a handkerchief to wipe his face full of tears. Yan Fei, however, took the opportunity to bury his head and throw himself into her arms without caring about anything else.
She was taken aback, frowned, and pulled her forearm away as if to push him away. But when she saw him clinging to her as if he were being affectionate, she felt helpless and silently reached out to pat his back.
"I didn't bully you."
Yan Fei whimpered, clinging to her tightly, seemingly oblivious to the fright he had just experienced. He mumbled, "Fei'er has never seen her father before. Mother said he used to live here, so I want to come here more often..."
Yan Chao didn't want to be so intimate with him, so she gave him a somewhat awkward hug: "Okay, stop crying."
"Won't Sixth Uncle dislike me?"
"Fei'er is so cute, no one would dislike you anyway." Honestly, she really didn't know how to handle a child's whining.
"Sixth Uncle, I'm sorry, I... I got snot on your robe..." He pointed and bit his lip in embarrassment.
"..."
Before leaving, Yan Fei revealed Sun's ultimate goal: "Mother wants to see Sixth Uncle and asked me to bring you a poem: 'Mother parting from son, son parting from mother, the daylight is dark and the cries are bitter.'"
Bai Juyi's "Mother Bids Farewell to Her Son".
Yan Chao frowned almost imperceptibly and said softly, "I understand."
The study fell silent. Yan Chao went with the palace maids to change his clothes. When he returned and saw Liang Lu there, he said in a deep voice, "Madam Sun probably knows some things about my mother."
Liang Lu was quite worried: "But Consort Sun's visit this time is not well-intentioned. Does Your Highness really intend to keep the appointment?"
"I'll go, but I have to be extra careful." She pinched the bridge of her nose.
With a slight lift of my head, I saw a painting of ladies hanging on the wall. The painting depicted two women: one leaning against the door, looking back with a bright begonia in her hair, gazing wistfully into the distance; and the other swinging on a swing under a flowering tree, innocent and carefree.
The painting bears the seal of Empress Wenhui, and the inscription is written in elegant small regular script: "On the winter solstice of the year Xinwei, I dreamt of meeting you, longing for Chang'an."
Yan Chao suddenly remembered something: "Have all the women selected for the imperial examinations gone to the capital?"
"Yes, the general election is in two days, and the Ministry of Rites and the eunuchs are very busy right now."
"Have Sun Shan keep a close eye on things, just make sure our men don't make any mistakes."
"Yes, Your Highness. Rest assured."
.
Besides the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Ministry of Rites, who were in charge of the selection, hundreds of eyes in the court were also watching the selection. They had not forgotten that at the beginning of the year, the selection was proposed for the purpose of establishing an empress, and someone had suddenly spread the news that the emperor had other intentions in choosing a concubine for the crown prince.
With the general election approaching, people were too embarrassed to look directly at the emperor's face due to etiquette, so they focused their attention more on the Eastern Palace, which was closer to them.
Yan Chao felt her scalp tingling from being stared at, so she made up an excuse to avoid seeing anyone for several days. She gritted her teeth and said, "The news was probably leaked by Lan Huaien."
On the day she used a divination slip to refuse the arranged marriage, Lan Huaien was the only one in the hall who seemed to have the least tight-lipped secrets.
.
Women from all over the north and south who came to the capital underwent a rigorous selection process, and only forty ladies remained to enter the palace, temporarily residing in Yuanhui Palace.
After entering the palace, the emperor entrusted all matters to Consort Ning. However, before that, Lan Huaien had always held the power in selecting officials from among the common people to the capital. After Consort Ning took over, she only glanced at the documents and nodded in approval.
After Consort Li was placed under house arrest, Consort Ning recommended several low-ranking concubines who were usually out of favor. Putting old wine in new bottles, they surprisingly managed to win the Emperor's favor. She herself had always been indifferent to the Emperor's favor, so this move significantly increased her prestige in the harem.
However, in the past few days, Consort Ning has changed her usual behavior and has been going to the Qianqing Palace from time to time.
The emperor knew she was choosing a wife for the crown prince, and he would see her only occasionally. Eventually, he became so annoyed by her persistent questioning that he asked her directly, "...Who are you choosing for him?"
Consort Ning accepted the ginseng soup offered by the palace maid, paused for a moment, then presented it to the Emperor, shaking her head and replying, "Although I am the Crown Prince's foster mother, I have raised her for many years, and there is still a bond between mother and son. I have heard that Your Majesty has already chosen a Crown Princess, who will be someone close to her, so I would like to take a look at her first."
The emperor shifted his gaze from the ginseng soup, raising an eyebrow at her. He'd been subtly probing her all along, reportedly asking the eunuchs before him, but refusing to ask him directly.
He didn't answer Consort Ning's question, but instead turned his head and pushed the ginseng soup aside, gesturing for her to come closer.
The palace servants who had been attending to her had all quietly withdrawn. The hall was filled with the ambergris incense that had kept her awake at night. Sometimes strong, sometimes faint, its strange fragrance lingering.
Her youthful beauty has long since faded. Yet, even without the radiant freshness of her youth, her ethereal face, softened by the gentle passage of time, remains as tender as a withered yet delicate gardenia in the twilight.
In the harem of three thousand beauties, she was never conspicuous.
The emperor stared at her, somewhat lost in thought. After a long while, he suddenly said, "You are still afraid of me, just like when you first entered the palace."
Consort Ning let him hold her wrist and obediently sat down beside him, without uttering a word, silently holding her breath, trying her best not to smell his scent.
The emperor sighed inexplicably, raised his hand to adjust the jade hairpin in her hair, and said gently, "The Du family in Jiangning is considered to be from a good family. I secretly had their birth dates matched, so there won't be any problems. The Crown Prince has been resisting marriage, but this time I will issue a decree directly, and he will not be allowed to say anything more."
Consort Ning's heart skipped a beat. She forced herself to remain calm, but before she could speak, the Emperor interrupted her: "You are his adoptive mother, and you surely wouldn't want to see him all alone. Besides, having a daughter-in-law can also help relieve your boredom."
The emperor pressed down on her shoulder, and her palms were already sweating profusely. She could only bite her lip and reply, "Yes."
"I've only told you about this idea. If you care about her, don't let the news get out of the way," the emperor said with a smile and a gentle tone. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he added, "Your embroidery skills are the best in the harem. Embroider a sachet for me too. The peonies in Kunning Palace are in full bloom. Go pick some and put them in."
She was stunned.
Kunning Palace had always been the residence of the Empress. Since the death of Empress Wenhui, no one except the palace servants had entered or left. A few years ago, a favored concubine barged in, and the Emperor was furious. After that, it truly became a forbidden area within the palace.
She vaguely guessed what the emperor meant, but she couldn't ask him. Shocked, she felt only panic.
.
Lan Huaien returned to his duty room, leaned back in his chair, and took the roster presented by Xiao Huozhe. As he looked at it, he casually asked, "Has a copy been sent to the Empress of Yongning Palace?"
Xiao Huozhe respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Excellency, Consort Ning went to Yuanhui Palace this afternoon and met with the ladies."
Lan Huaien looked up, somewhat surprised, and after a moment's thought, asked, "...Has Your Majesty paid special attention to any particular person?"
Xiao Huozhe simply lowered his head and said, "No. Her Majesty bestowed palace flowers and snacks upon everyone, and as is customary, gave them a few words of advice before leaving."
Lan Huaien frowned, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
He looked down and glanced at the document a few more times, reading it word by word. He had carefully considered the family backgrounds of all forty people, not only their appearances and character, but so far there had been no word from the emperor.
Considering Consort Ning's recent unusual behavior, he keenly sensed that something was about to happen.
He simply ordered someone to summon Cheng Tai.
Cheng Tai had been secretly watching, and upon hearing the news, he rushed over immediately, saying only, "There is no problem with the selection, but if the Eunuch really wants to investigate... there is one woman among the women who needs to be watched."
"Go ahead," Lan Huaien said, suppressing the inexplicable anxiety in his heart. He lay half-reclined with his eyes closed to rest.
"Pingliang presented He Qingxi, a girl who was skilled in horsemanship and sword dancing. It is said that she also learned martial arts from her brother."
"Oh? That's interesting."
Lan Huaien was somewhat surprised. He suddenly opened his eyes, stood up, grabbed the booklet, and flipped through it. Apart from his family background, there was nothing else on it.
Cheng Tai was still completely bewildered. After pondering for a while, he tentatively guessed, "Then, Grand Eunuch, could it be that Consort Ning has her eye on He Qingxi because she intends to choose her as the Crown Princess?"
Before he could finish speaking, the eunuch smacked him on the head. Cheng Tai couldn't help but hiss and stumble backward, stammering, "Where...where did I go wrong..."
"Shut up!" Lan Huaien could only grit his teeth and utter this retort. He knew perfectly well that Consort Ning could only try to stop this matter by any means necessary, and would never accept anyone on behalf of Yan Chao.
“I’ll go sound out for myself,” he said carefully, then paused before adding, “You have someone secretly keep an eye on He Qingxi, and let me know immediately if there’s any movement.”
.
The West Palace was mostly inhabited by the old empresses from the previous emperor's time, so it was much quieter than other palaces in the palace.
The matter of the Sun family moving the palace was discussed in the court for several days, and eventually a Zhaoyang Palace was built. The emperor actually valued his young grandson more, and the name "Zhaoyang" was written for him.
Yan Chao walked around the screen wall and saw Madam Sun standing under the eaves, wearing a light purple jacket with a straight collar and a front opening, adorned with plain-colored floral branches. She was teasing a parrot in a cage with a round fan, and her every move exuded elegance.
The parrot's speech was unclear; upon seeing someone approach, it strained its voice and uttered a few incoherent words. Its voice wasn't exactly melodious, but rather shrill and piercing, instantly disrupting the tranquil atmosphere.
When Madam Sun turned around and saw that it was her, she was not surprised. She put down her fan and greeted her indifferently, "The Crown Prince has arrived. Please come in and have a seat."
Without looking at her, he ordered the palace servants to serve tea.
Yan Fei tried to follow her in, but was turned away. Dejected, she turned to return to her room, whispering to Yan Chao before leaving, "Sixth Uncle, Mother seems to be in a bad mood right now, you..."
"What, are you afraid I'll bully her?"
Seeing Yan Fei's extremely embarrassed expression, she couldn't help but chuckle. She glanced around the hall, then suddenly bent down, whispered a few words in his ear, and stepped inside.
"How have you been, sister-in-law?" Yan Chao stood behind the curtain, bowing and greeting her. After a moment of silence, she was used to Madam Sun's temperament and straightened up on her own.
"Mothers part from their sons, sons part from their mothers, the daylight is dark and their cries are bitter. This is what you asked Fei'er to bring to me. I wonder what advice you have for me, sister-in-law?" She simply got straight to the point and asked directly.
"The Crown Prince is always so busy with state affairs, it's kind of you to make this trip."
Madam Sun gestured for her to sit down, then took a sip of tea herself, revealing nothing of her true feelings. Her deep and reserved demeanor was a far cry from her seemingly detached and unassuming manner in the corridor just moments before.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
