Chapter 11 Jade Shattered
Princess Wang, wife of Prince Wei, was a direct descendant of the Taiyuan Wang clan. Her given name, "Wan," was chosen to signify the gentle warmth of jade. From a young age, she was a carefully cultivated treasure of her family, excelling in poetry, literature, etiquette, needlework, and domestic affairs. When she married Prince Li Tai of Wei at the age of fifteen, they were the envy of everyone in Chang'an. A perfect match—talented man and beautiful woman, of equal social standing, a union of imperial wealth and a thousand-year-old reputation—seemingly flawless.
In the beginning, their relationship did indeed seem like a harmonious and loving one. Li Tai was elegant and talented, and he treated his princess, who came from a prestigious family, with the respect and courtesy due to him. They would enjoy the moon and compose poetry in the garden of the palace, and they would play music together harmoniously when receiving scholars and guests, playing the roles of an elegant and glamorous prince and princess as expected by the world.
However, Wang Wan was astute. She quickly noticed that the flame of ambition in her husband's eyes was burning ever brighter. He was no longer content to be a refined and virtuous prince; the topics of conversation in his study gradually shifted from poetry and songs to court intrigues and the succession to the throne. The "advisors" who gathered around him looked at her, their queen, with less initial respect and more calculation and manipulation.
She tried to persuade him gently, as his wife, by emphasizing the principles of "contentment brings happiness" and "peace is a blessing." At first, Li Tai would offer some perfunctory advice, but later he impatiently interrupted, "That's just a woman's perspective! What do you know? This isn't just about my personal honor or disgrace; it concerns the entire Wang family, and the future of your Taiyuan Wang clan!"
"The future of the Wang family of Taiyuan..." Wang Wan murmured these words to herself, feeling a chill run down her spine. She began to understand that she was not only Li Tai's wife, but also an important link between the Prince of Wei's mansion and the Wang family of Taiyuan, a jade pendant displayed in the open, symbolizing the alliance.
Her family, through her mother and visiting relatives, also subtly conveyed their expectations and pressures to her. They praised the King of Wei's "great ambitions" and hinted that she should provide more "assistance" and consolidate this bridge connecting imperial power and top aristocratic families. She could not refuse; it was the family that gave her birth and raised her, and the belief instilled in her from childhood that "family honor is above all else."
So she learned to remain silent, to serve tea and snacks at just the right moment when her husband was having secret talks with his advisors, and then to quietly withdraw; to speak impeccably with the concubines and noblewomen from similar noble families at necessary court banquets, maintaining a facade of harmony and support; and to whisper wishes for "peace and joy" to the child in her womb, wishes that even she herself didn't quite believe, in the quiet of the night, while gently stroking her growing belly.
When news of Li Xiang's untimely death arrived, the Prince of Wei's residence outwardly showed grief, but Wang Wan saw a fleeting, almost frenzied glint in her husband's eyes, and the barely suppressed whispers of excitement from his advisors. Hiding behind the screen, listening to their discussions of "timing," "counterattack," and "the Crown Prince's inevitable chaos," she felt a chill run through her body, and her stomach churned. That innocent and adorable child—she had seen him at the palace banquet, who would softly call her "Aunt Wang"... How could this be?
She didn't ask, nor dared she ask. But from then on, she had more and more nightmares, often dreaming of dripping blood and the mournful cries of children.
The scandal broke, swiftly and brutally. When the Crown Prince's men surrounded the Prince of Wei's residence, when her husband was taken away looking ashen-faced, and when the strategists who usually spoke so eloquently scattered like birds or were arrested along with him, Wang Wan strangely calmed down. What was bound to happen had finally happened. The sword hanging over her head had fallen, and she no longer needed to fear day and night when it would fall.
She didn't cry or plead. She simply directed the terrified servants to tidy up the palace, both inside and out, and to carefully inventory and seal her dowry and personal belongings. She wrote a long letter to her parents in Taiyuan, without complaining or asking for help, but calmly recounting what had happened (of course, omitting the horrific details she knew), and imploring her family to treat her young children kindly and give them a way out, considering her impending death.
She knew she had to die. As the Princess Consort of Wei, the wife of a key figure in this shocking conspiracy, and the link between the noble families and the rebellious king, she could not live. To live would be a threat to the royal family, a disgrace to her clan, and perhaps an even greater burden to her children. Death was the last thing she could do for her husband (though he might not care), for her family, and especially for her children—to draw a line with them through her death and earn a possible reprieve.
When the imperial poisoned wine arrived, it was served in an exquisite jade pot, carried personally by an old eunuch from the palace. The eunuch's face was expressionless, but his eyes held a hint of barely perceptible pity.
Wang Wan bathed and changed into the most magnificent and solemn princess dress she had worn once on her wedding day. As she applied her makeup before the mirror, the rouge concealed her paleness, but could not hide the lifelessness in her eyes. The woman in the mirror still possessed exquisite features and a noble air, like a lifeless jade statue.
She walked to the main hall, sat down, and gestured to the old eunuch that he could pour the wine.
The glass was warm, the liquid amber in color, shimmering slightly with an eerie sheen. Without hesitation, she took it, raised the glass, and downed it in one gulp. The liquor was strong, making her cough, but soon a burning, numbing sensation spread from her throat.
Her vision began to blur, and the sounds around her faded into the distance. She seemed to see again the red ribbons and cheers that filled the streets of Chang'an on her wedding day; she saw Li Tai's eyes, filled with admiration and a gentle smile, when he first looked at her; she saw the adorable way her children toddled and babbled; and she saw her mother (Empress Zhangsun) holding her hand, gently saying, "Tai'er is quick-tempered; you must persuade him more..."
Advice? She tried, but what good did it do? Jade, though warm and smooth, how could it warm a heart hardened by ambition? How could it withstand the crushing force of the tide of the times and the lust for power?
This "jade pendant," meticulously crafted by her family and used for marriage alliances to consolidate power, ultimately shattered silently amidst the clash of power and the family's ambitions.
So be it. Shattered cleanly, leaving not a single fragment. Burying this warm exterior along with its already cold and despairing core. Perhaps, this is the best, and only, end for this "jade."
Before her consciousness completely sank into darkness, the last thing she heard seemed to be the howling wind outside the window, or perhaps the faint cries of children from afar, coming from the direction of Lingnan.
That's enough, that's all.
The jade palace shattered and collapsed, the lingering sound... was not heard.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com