Klares Wasser und wunderschöne Berge

Kapitel 15

Consort Yu nodded in agreement and sighed, "They're all serving the Emperor, so how come they're so different? There's no one else in the palace as arrogant as her. I just don't understand, the Emperor has intelligent and virtuous ladies from prominent families, as well as gentle and obedient girls from humble backgrounds, so why does he favor this impoverished girl so much? Although she has some beauty, is she really that beautiful?"

"You entered the palace later than me, so you may not know about your early years. There's a reason for that," Consort Miao explained to her. "Lady Zhang was originally the adopted daughter of the late Emperor Shen Jieyu, and later entered the palace of Empress Zhanghui. The Emperor was raised by Empress Zhanghui when he was young and was extremely filial to her. Even after she came of age, he never forgot to pay his respects to her morning and evening. Lady Zhang was very young then, not much older than Princess Huirou is now. One day, she found that her pet white rabbit had died, with a wound on its throat and half of its body covered in blood. She cried her heart out. Later, someone told her that the rabbit might have been killed by a rat. Just then, a small mouse ran past her feet. She was furious and ran around with her skirts, determined to stomp the little mouse to death. The Emperor happened to come in at that moment and saw this scene. From then on, he took a liking to her and took her as his concubine when she was a little older."

Consort Yu suddenly realized and laughed, "So that's why the Emperor likes her little quirk."

Consort Miao smiled slightly: "Perhaps in his eyes, this is the true nature that is rare among women in the palace... Later, someone told Lady Zhang that the little rabbit was actually killed by a girl who was jealous of her. I don't know if this is true or not, but after that, Lady Zhang's paranoia took root. If anything goes wrong, she suspects that someone is trying to harm her. Now that her daughter is gone, it would be strange if she didn't suspect anything."

Consort Yu thought for a moment, then said, "But earlier, she did find a doll in the back garden..." Before she could finish, she quickly changed the subject, "She's so arrogant, there must be quite a few people in the palace who resent her. In the end, the reason she caused this is because she herself is ignorant."

Consort Miao shook her head and sighed softly, "Who knows..."

At this moment, Zhaorong noticed me again and instructed, "The Emperor just sent someone to ask if the Princess is feeling better. Go to Lady Zhang's room and report back to the Emperor."

I nodded in agreement. Seeing that I had been standing by their side while they were talking about Lady Zhang, Consort Yu smiled and specially instructed, "Don't mention what I said to Lady Miao to anyone else."

Before I could answer, Consort Miao spoke to Consort Jieyu, saying, "You can rest assured about that. Don't underestimate this child because of his young age; he's more mature than many of the older palace servants. He's also wholeheartedly devoted to serving Huirou. I consider him one of my own."

When I returned to Xiangluan Pavilion, Consort Zhang was no longer in the courtyard. She must have cried for a long time and was being helped inside to rest. When the Emperor saw me enter, he immediately beckoned me to come closer and inquired in detail about the princess's condition, showing great concern.

At this moment, a group of eunuchs entered in a procession, each carrying several bolts of purple silk. The emperor turned to the monks performing the ritual in the courtyard and said, "Give each monk a bolt of purple silk."

When the palace holds religious ceremonies, there are established rules for the rewards given to the monks. The fact that the purple robe was not among them suggests that it was a special gift from the emperor.

The monks expressed their gratitude. Unexpectedly, the emperor changed the subject and earnestly instructed them: "When you leave the palace through the Donghua Gate in the future, you must be careful to hide the purple robe in your bosom and not let the people of the Inner East Gate see it. Otherwise, the censors will write a report against you."

The monks agreed, but as they exchanged glances, they couldn't help but show surprise. The palace servants on both sides naturally knew that the Emperor was always afraid of the remonstrating officials, and upon hearing this, they all wanted to laugh, but when they glanced at the Emperor and saw that his expression was not right, their laughter was forcibly suppressed.

He had been speaking to the monks with a kind and gentle demeanor, but his eyes turned cold when he mentioned "the people of the Inner East Gate." After speaking, his face remained aloof and bleak, as if covered in frost.

Upon hearing "Inner East Gate Guard," I immediately thought of Mr. Zhang Maoze. Considering the Emperor's silence when I mentioned him before, I secretly suspected that Mr. Zhang might have displeased the Emperor because he was in charge of the entry and exit of palace personnel and, seeing that the Emperor had bestowed too much wealth and gifts upon people, had gone to inform the remonstrating officials?

The Inner East Gate Office is very close to the Secretariat and other official residences, making it very easy to contact officials outside the capital. But upon further reflection, the Emperor doesn't often bestow gifts on people arbitrarily, and Mr. Zhang shouldn't be offending the Emperor for such a matter. My suspicions are quite naive. But why does the Emperor dislike Mr. Zhang?

Lost in my own thoughts, I didn't hear the Emperor calling me. It wasn't until he raised his voice slightly and called my name again that I snapped out of my reverie and stood at attention to receive his orders.

“Let’s go to Yifeng Pavilion, I want to see Huirou,” he said.

(to be continued)

Note: Empress Zhanghui was Consort Yang of Emperor Zhenzong, who, along with Empress Zhangxian Mingsu Liu, raised Emperor Renzong Zhao Zhen. Emperor Renzong addressed Empress Liu as "Big ??" and Consort Yang as "Little ??". Empress Zhangxian's will ordered Emperor Renzong to honor Consort Yang as Empress Dowager. She died in the third year of the Jingyou era and was posthumously honored as Empress Zhuanghui, which was later changed to Empress Zhanghui.

The Lonely City Closed (A Princess Who Fell in Love with a Eunuch) Meeting you then, I've already taken notice. 12. Brewing Plums

Chapter word count: 2718 Update time: 08-09-13 15:35

Back in the pavilion, the two ladies were still drinking tea. When they saw the official enter, they quickly got up to greet him.

When the Emperor asked about the princess's condition, Consort Miao replied, "She was taking a nap just now, and she has now woken up, but she is still lying in bed and refuses to get up."

The princess was young, and the emperor had always been close to her, so he had few reservations. Hearing Zhaorong say this, he casually picked up a plate of newly arrived Dragon Boat Festival candies, tarts, and plums from the imperial kitchen and said, "I'll go talk to her."

Zhao Rong agreed and summoned me and a young maid named Jiaqingzi, ordering us to serve at the princess's gate.

"Jiaqingzi" originally referred to plums growing in Jiaqingfang, Luoyang during the Tang Dynasty. These plums were renowned for their sweetness and freshness, hence the name Jiaqing plum. By the time of the Qing Dynasty, Jiaqingzi had become a name for candied plums. The princess had four maids, all seven or eight years old, whose names were bestowed upon her by the princess and were all named after her favorite foods. The other three were named Xiaoye'er, Yunguo'er, and Xiangyuanzi.

Jiaqingzi was a newcomer this year. When she first entered the palace, the princess was drinking porridge. Lady Han asked the princess to bestow a name upon her. The princess looked at her and asked what her surname was. The little girl replied that her surname was Jiang. At that moment, the princess was chewing a piece of spicy ginger. Upon hearing this, she laughed and said, "Then you shall be called Spicy Ginger!"

Consort Miao smiled and objected, "If she really changes her name, how will she face people in the future?"

The princess didn't insist, saying, "Then I'll think about it some more."

I saw her eyes darting around the dishes on the table, all of which were lettuce, fermented bean curd, ginger and black bean sauce, spicy radish, mustard melon, raw pickled papaya, and so on. Finally, she glanced at the steamed fish buns on the side. Worried that she might give the young girl another name that would amaze everyone, I took the opportunity of changing empty plates and cups to place a plate of Jiaqingzi in front of her.

Sure enough, this sparked her inspiration: "You can call me Jiaqingzi, I love to eat her."

Princess loves sweets and candied fruits, but she is currently losing her baby teeth, so Consort Miao rarely gives her any. The Emperor is taking the preserved plums now to cheer her up.

The princess was lying in bed, clearly awake at the moment. Upon hearing the emperor enter, she immediately turned around and pretended to be asleep.

The Emperor sat down by her bedside, held the plum wine to her nose, and smiled as he called to her, "Huirou, look what your father has brought you."

The princess remained motionless and refused to agree. The emperor then laughed and said, "These are freshly made plum wine for the Dragon Boat Festival. The honey has already seeped out of the plum skin. If we don't eat them soon, they won't taste good."

Plum filling is a seasonal sweet candy. Before the Dragon Boat Festival, people in the capital would cut calamus, ginger, apricots, plums, and perilla into shreds, soak them in molasses, and stuff them into plum skins to make it. It has a sweet and sour taste and a refreshing fragrance. The princess has always loved it. Moreover, it can only be obtained around the Dragon Boat Festival once a year. However, Lady Miao does not give it much. Therefore, the emperor's offer to her at this time is a great temptation.

The princess's shoulders twitched slightly, indicating a painful struggle within her, but she managed to maintain her composure and remained unresponsive.

The emperor sighed, seemingly talking to himself, "Sleeping so soundly..." He then turned and called Jiaqingzi over, handing her the plate in his hand, saying, "I'm giving you the braised plums. You can eat them yourself, or share them with Xiaoyan'er and the others."

Emperor Jiaqing happily accepted the gift, then remembered that he should bow and express his gratitude. The Emperor smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Never mind, go and eat."

Looking at the princess again, and seeing that she showed no sign of opening her eyes, the emperor stood up and said, "Since the princess is still asleep, I will go back now."

As she spoke, she quietly walked behind a curtain and disappeared into the shadows.

The princess hadn't heard any movement for a while, so she turned around slightly. She opened her right eye a crack first, but didn't see the Emperor. She then opened her eyes wide and sat up. Once she was sure the Emperor wasn't in front of her, she threw off the covers and jumped down. Without even putting on her shoes, she ran to the door and peeked out.

Not seeing the official, she turned to me and asked, "Has Father left?"

I smiled and lowered my head.

"Oh..." She thought I was nodding, and her eyes immediately dimmed, showing great disappointment.

At this moment, the emperor appeared, laughing loudly. Upon seeing him, the princess exclaimed in surprise, quickly ran back, jumped onto the bed, and pulled the quilt tightly over her head. Only a slight tremor could be seen under the quilt, and it was unclear whether the princess was crying or laughing.

The emperor forcibly pulled back the corner of the quilt, forcing the princess to reveal her small face, but she kept her eyes tightly closed and her lips tightly pursed, indicating that she did not want to talk to her father.

"Hmm, don't laugh, please don't laugh," the emperor said to the princess, concealing his laughter and feigning seriousness, "otherwise, the missing tooth will let in the wind."