Chapter 10 An aloofness lingered amidst the faint scent of sandalwood…
At noon, the ministers gradually left the Hall of Diligent Governance.
After Pei Muwei finished reviewing the last memorial, he placed the wolf-hair brush on the blue-and-white lingzhi-patterned brush holder, washed his hands, took the black cloak offered by Eunuch Wang, stood up, walked around the landscape jade screen, and paused.
His gaze fell on the graceful figure by the window.
The young empress dowager slept soundly on the rosewood table, her graceful figure accentuated by a flowing lake-blue dress. The midday sun streamed quietly in through the window, casting shimmering light on her simple dress, making it resemble a crystal-clear lake.
The woman turned her face slightly to the side, her eyes gently closed, her thick eyelashes casting a small shadow. Her flushed cheeks rested softly on her arm, and she exhaled long breaths from her delicate nose, gently blowing a few strands of hair that fell across her forehead.
Pei Muwei took a few steps closer, his dark, shadowy figure almost completely enveloping the woman.
As if sensing an unfamiliar presence approaching, the woman suddenly frowned, turned her head to reveal her profile with a sheet of Xuan paper underneath, and then fell fast asleep.
Pei Muwei's brow twitched slightly. He reached out and gently lifted the Xuan paper that was pressed against the little princess's cheek.
The coldness in the man's eyes softened slightly.
The girl was fast asleep, and several crooked words were clearly imprinted on her fair and rosy cheeks.
Looking again at the crumpled sheet of Xuan paper in his hand, the handwriting on it was elegant and refined, recording the reform content mentioned by the Vice Minister of the Chancellery. However, the more he wrote, the more illegible the handwriting became, and the last line was like a ghost's scribbles...
The eunuch carefully glanced at the regent's expression and whispered:
"This servant has heard that His Majesty has recently become obsessed with shadow puppetry, and has been pestering the Empress Dowager to play with it every day. Last night, His Majesty played in the Phoenix Palace until 9 PM and still refused to leave, and finally rested in the Empress Dowager's bedroom."
"Your Highness, would you like me to awaken the Empress Dowager...?"
Pei Muwei lowered his eyes to look at the sleeping Empress Dowager, pondered for a moment, and said in a low voice, "No need, you stay here and wait for the Empress Dowager to wake up."
"This servant obeys."
When Chu Yueyuan woke up, it was already sunset outside the window.
She groggily sat up, the dark cloak draped over her shoulders slipping down, the silky brocade resembling layers of dark waves, softly piling up at her waist.
Chu Yueyuan's movements were still sluggish from just waking up. She stared blankly at the black cloak wrapped around her waist, her hazy eyes gradually regaining their clarity.
The faint scent of sandalwood surrounding the wearer clearly identified the owner of the black cloak.
"The Empress Dowager has woken up."
Eunuch Wang lifted the jade beaded curtain, entered, bowed, and handed over a warm handkerchief that had been prepared beforehand.
Chu Yueyuan took the damp cloth and wiped her cheeks. Suddenly remembering something, she turned to look at the empty rosewood armchair behind the screen and slowly furrowed her brows.
"Eunuch Wang, how long have I been asleep?"
Eunuch Wang replied with a smile, "Your Majesty, you have been asleep for almost an hour. Before the Regent left, he instructed this old servant not to disturb you. However, the Prince saw that Your Majesty was sleeping by the window and was worried that Your Highness might catch a cold from the draft..."
Eunuch Wang was a shrewd old man in the palace, and he would only hint at certain things.
Chu Yueyuan's brow relaxed, and she praised the regent, following the words of the eunuch: "The regent has the heart of a child and is diligent in serving the people. His Majesty is very fortunate to have such a capable minister."
Having finished recounting the events, she prepared to return to the Phoenix Perch Palace to rest.
"Your Majesty, please wait a moment..."
Eunuch Wang scurried toward the rosewood desk, and a series of sparse sounds arose. When the person emerged from behind the screen, he was holding a tall stack of memorials.
The obsequious laughter of Eunuch Wang drifted from behind the mountain of memorials:
"Your Majesty, the Regent has instructed me to accompany His Highness until Your Majesty affixes the imperial seal to these memorials, after which I will deliver them to the Secretariat for review."
To remind the Regent that the Qi dynasty still belonged to the Xiao family, the princes and nobles in the court not only jointly submitted a memorial requesting that the Empress Dowager and the Regent jointly govern, but also required that all memorials sent to the Secretariat bear the Empress Dowager's imperial seal before they could be executed.
Chu Yueyuan looked at the mountain of memorials piled high on the table, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She must have been half asleep, deeply moved by the Regent's act of leaving her the cloak.
That heartless monster would repay even the slightest kindness with exorbitant interest.
As the sun sets and the moon rises, the tiny candlelight flickers in the lotus-shaped candlestick, casting the slender figure of a woman buried in her work onto the white jade screen.
Although the pure gold phoenix seal was no bigger than the palm of her hand, it was heavy. The woman lifted the heavy phoenix seal with her slender wrists again and again, pressing it onto the vermilion ink, and then carefully placing it on the man's strong and powerful calligraphy.
In the quiet and spacious study of the Diligent Governance Hall, muffled thuds could be heard.
After finishing stamping the last memorial, Chu Yueyuan rubbed her aching wrists and carefully put the phoenix seal, which all the women in the harem coveted, back into the golden nanmu box.
Returning to Phoenix Palace under the moonlight, Chu Yueyuan was exhausted. She was too lazy to even change out of her elaborate and gorgeous palace dress. She kicked off her pearl-embroidered gold cloud-patterned shoes and collapsed onto the soft phoenix couch.
To ensure that future generations would avoid arrogance and impetuosity and instead focus on their studies, Emperor Qin Shi Huang of the Great Qi Dynasty arranged for the chairs in the Hall of Diligent Governance to be made of hard sandalwood without any cushions.
After sitting for a whole day, Chu Yueyuan not only suffered from backache and pain, but even the tender flesh on her buttocks became red and swollen. However, no one could tell her about this embarrassing and painful experience.
"God, when will this end?!"
Chu Yueyuan sighed, which happened to be seen by Xiao Yun, who was playing nearby. So Xiao Yun imitated her, rolling around on the bed while crying out in a childish voice:
"God...when will this end..."
Granny Xu quickly interrupted the two fooling around. She peeked out and looked at the silent clay statues of palace maids standing in the corridor outside the hall, and whispered:
"My lords, please watch your words!"
After Xiao Yun's antics, Chu Yueyuan's mood improved considerably. She picked up Xiao Yun, lowered her head and took a deep breath of his milky scent, a gentle smile spreading across her eyes.
She wants to become strong, for herself and for those she wants to protect.
The next day, Chu Yueyuan, carrying a soft cushion that Jin Tong had sewn overnight, with a plaster on her wrist to reduce swelling and bruising, walked into the Qin Zheng Hall with her head held high and chest out.
The woman lifted the jade beaded curtain with her slender hands and stepped into the small room by the window. Her eyelashes fluttered twice, and a hint of surprise flashed in her bright eyes.
The shabby rosewood desk from yesterday had been removed and replaced with a spacious and comfortable three-panel mahogany low couch inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
On the couch is a small square table made of golden sandalwood, with a soft velvet tablecloth adorned with coral and the character "福" (fortune). There is also a glass vase with magnolia flowers in it. Behind the couch is a small rosewood bookcase with a row of books on its shelves.
"This is..."
Chu Yueyuan looked bewildered, not understanding how her meager and pitiful desk had transformed into an extremely luxurious and fragrant nest overnight.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Household Department received news yesterday that Your Majesty would be ruling from behind the curtain. We have been busy arranging Your Highness's study for handling state affairs. I wonder if Your Highness is satisfied?"
Chu Yueyuan turned her head to look at the person who answered, a young eunuch with a fair complexion and regular features.
"My name is Shuyan. I was sent by the Palace Attendants Bureau to serve the Empress Dowager with her writing materials. Your Highness may call me Xiaoyanzi from now on."
The Imperial Household Department's swift and decisive actions must be guided by a highly skilled individual.
Chu Yueyuan turned around and, through a jade screen depicting mountains and water, gave a slight nod to the tall figure opposite her.
"Thank you, Minister Pei."
The regent behind the screen remained motionless, his voice as aloof and cold as ever: "If the Empress Dowager is pleased, then so be it."
Chu Yueyuan didn't seem to care much about the man's indifferent attitude. She looked at the cozy and comfortable little study with a smile, and said contentedly:
"I like it very much."
————
Prime Minister Shen and several cabinet ministers entered the warm pavilion one after another. None of them noticed the changes behind the curtain and reported the affairs of the court to the Regent as usual.
Chu Yueyuan removed her phoenix-head embroidered shoes inlaid with pearls, climbed onto the rosewood inlaid with mother-of-pearl low couch, leaned against the soft, gold-threaded boutonniere pillow, and casually pulled out a storybook from the bookshelf.
The exquisitely bound copybook prominently displays the author's name: "Jade Steps Immortal".
Chu Yueyuan's gaze fell on those four words, her eyes flickering slightly.
When Xiao Yanzi saw the Empress Dowager select a storybook, she quickly bowed and said eagerly, "Your Majesty has excellent eyesight. The storybooks written by this 'Jade Steps Immortal' have been popular in the capital for a long time and are loved by ladies of noble families and unmarried noble ladies. Almost everyone has a copy!"
"Especially the book 'Golden Wind and Jade Dew' chosen by the Empress Dowager, which tells the story of the heroine's strategic planning and meticulous scheming, ultimately exposing the hypocrisy of her wicked stepmother and half-sister to the world. Jade Step Immortal's writing is exquisite, and the domestic power struggles within are particularly captivating..."
Chu Yueyuan's cheeks flushed slightly, and she smiled awkwardly: "I don't like stories about infighting within the inner quarters, so... let's read another one."
Undeterred, Xiao Yanzi pulled out another storybook and began to introduce it with great enthusiasm:
"Since the Empress Dowager dislikes palace intrigue, why not read this one? It's also by Jade Rank Immortal. In this book, the female protagonist is reborn with the ability to foresee the future. She persuades her mother and heartless father to divorce, and later, the mother and daughter start from scratch and thrive in the capital with their superb incense-making skills, ultimately changing the fate of her mother's early death in her previous life..."
Chu Yueyuan blushed even more. She pressed her hand to her brow and coughed lightly, "Hmm... I've read this book too."
Xiao Yanzi was overjoyed upon hearing this, as if she had found a kindred spirit, and couldn't help but talk at length:
"It's a pity that Jade Steps Immortal has very few works. After creating a sensation in the capital, he stopped writing. Many literati and scholars tried to imitate Jade Steps Immortal's writing style, but they ended up with inferior imitations and were easily recognized by the world."
Finally, Xiao Yanzi sighed, "Ah, if only the Jade Steps Immortal could pick up his brush and ink again..."
As Chu Yueyuan listened to Xiao Yanzi's endless chatter, she lowered her eyes to look at the exquisitely bound storybook in her hand, her fingertips gently brushing over the words "Jade Steps Immortal," her long eyelashes concealing the emotions in her eyes.
Seeing that the Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time, Xiao Yanzi quickly raised his hand and slapped himself: "This servant made a fuss for a moment, please punish me, Your Majesty."
Chu Yueyuan smiled and changed the subject: "Little Yanzi, can you read?"
In the Great Qi Dynasty, writing implements were extremely valuable, and only the sons of noble families or wealthy gentry could afford to hire tutors to teach them to read and write.
Xiao Yanzi scratched the back of his head sheepishly and said truthfully:
"Your Majesty, my father was originally a teacher in Yizhou County. Five years ago, Yizhou suffered a drought, resulting in a complete crop failure. My family of five fled to the capital, but we eventually became destitute. My father had no choice but to send me to the palace to exchange for a few taels of silver..."
Xiao Yanzi was clever, quick-witted, and literate. In addition, he had a likable personality. Not long after entering the palace, he was adopted by Eunuch Wang and put into service in the Inner Palace Department, where he was responsible for purchasing books for the concubines in the harem.
Chu Yueyuan asked casually, "You often visit various bookstores, so you must know quite a few bookstore owners?"
Xiao Yanzi grinned, revealing a row of white teeth: "This humble servant is not very talented, but I have some connections with several bookstore owners in the capital. If Your Majesty wishes to obtain the manuscript of that scholar, this humble servant will certainly be able to find it for Your Highness."
Finally, he added, "Apart from the manuscripts of the Jade Steps Immortal, this person lived in anonymity, and no one knew his origins."
Chu Yueyuan's eyes lit up. She asked Xiao Yanzi to bring her a pen and ink and quickly wrote a letter.
"I am an old acquaintance of Manager Heng of Moxiangju. When you have the chance to leave the palace next time, please pass this letter to Manager Heng and also take a look at what kind of novels are popular in the capital recently, and buy them all."
Xiao Yanzi accepted the letter and patted his chest, promising that he would do a good job.
An hour later, the ministers who had been discussing the matter left the Xuanzheng Hall.
Behind the rosewood desk with dragon patterns, Pei Muwei sat upright, wearing a scarlet inner robe over a black brocade robe. A crane knot was tied around his neck, highlighting his prominent Adam's apple. Wide sleeves with five-clawed dragon patterns cascaded down the edge of the desk. His well-defined fingers gripped the pen, and the characters he wrote leaped onto the paper like dragons and phoenixes dancing...
The blue-and-white porcelain incense burner slowly released the calming sandalwood fragrance, and the only sound in the quiet study was the soft rustling of Xuan paper being rubbed together.
"Minister Pei..."
The woman's sweet, delicate voice broke the silence in the room.
The steady, powerful strokes of the pen suddenly paused, and a drop of thick ink slowly seeped into the flowing characters.
A note from the author:
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