Klares Wasser und wunderschöne Berge

Kapitel 63

The Lonely City Closes (The Princess Who Fell in Love with the Eunuch) Falling Flowers and Gentle Autumn Rain 53. Pure Heart

Chapter word count: 2617 Update time: 08-08-21 17:04

Pure Heart

The Empress's decree was quickly issued, approving the two palaces to hold a ritual for blessings in the Daqing Hall. Wen Yanbo immediately made arrangements, setting up the altar, preparing tents and beds, and spending the night with several high-ranking officials in the west wing of the main hall. After a deep conversation with Wen Yanbo, Fu Bi claimed illness and requested leave from the palace, indicating that he would not be involved in the affairs of state.

His actions were naturally to avoid suspicion. When the Emperor mentioned the Empress's conspiracy with a minister, even bystanders would likely guess who this "minister" was. The Empress's inclination towards the ministers of the new policies was something that most people in the court and palace could sense. Even if the Emperor didn't look at Fu Bi when he said that, everyone could guess it was him by considering the context.

I remained somewhat worried about Mr. Zhang, fearing he might attempt suicide again. So, early the next morning, I went to check on him. When I arrived, he was no longer in his room; only a eunuch was inside cleaning it.

"Good morning, Mr. Liang!" Perhaps because of my behavior yesterday, he was very friendly to me. He smiled and bowed as soon as he saw me. Before I could ask, he told me, "Mr. Zhang went to the Funing Palace to serve His Majesty before dawn. He is not here now."

I was still a little worried, so I asked, "Nothing else happened last night, right?"

“Mr. Zhang is fine. He drank porridge and took his medicine as prescribed last night, and there were no unusual symptoms. I was worried, so I stayed up all night watching over him, but I didn’t see anything wrong with him,” he said. Then he looked at me, paused, as if pondering something, and finally decided to tell me: “But if there is anything unusual, then there is… Last night, the Empress came to see him, accompanied by Chief Clerk Deng. At that time, Mr. Zhang had already closed his door to rest. Chief Clerk Deng was standing with the Empress in the courtyard and announced that he should come out to greet her. But Mr. Zhang did not open the door. After dressing properly, he knelt down behind the door…” He said he was fine and dared not trouble the Empress, asking her to return home. The Empress approached and said, "Open the door and let me see you, then I will go back." Mr. Zhang refused, bowing deeply twice and saying loudly, "Your Majesty's teachings are etched in my heart. From now on, I will serve Your Majesty with all my might and will never slacken in the slightest." The Empress heard this and said nothing more. Then Mr. Zhang said again, "Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off." He then prostrated himself on the ground, not raising his head for a long time, until I told him that the Empress's shadow was no longer visible at the window, only then did he slowly rise.

After hearing this, I didn't know what to say and remained silent for a while, my gaze wandering aimlessly around the room. Finally, a sprig of winter plum blossom on the table caught my attention.

The wintersweet, with its pale yellow and pinkish-white hues, was crystal clear, its color like beeswax, and semi-transparent, while its heart was pure white. Though not as flamboyant as the red plum, its fragrance was delicate and rich, even surpassing that of the plum blossom. By this time, the room had been wiped clean by the little yellow doorman, and the fragrance of the flowers mingled with the lingering moisture, making it all the more elegant and refreshing.

Seeing my interest in the wintersweet, the eunuch immediately explained, "These flowers were sent by the Empress this morning... This kind of wintersweet is Mr. Zhang's favorite flower."

I nodded and then asked him, "What's the name of this kind of wintersweet?"

He replied, "Pure heart."

The reasons why Mr. Zhang refused to see the Empress may be complicated, but I can only guess at the most superficial level: to avoid suspicion and prevent those who were spying on their words and actions from finding evidence of their private "conspiracy".

Therefore, I admire the Empress; it took courage for her to visit Mr. Zhang under such circumstances. At the same time, I am also moved by Mr. Zhang's determination to stay at home and refuse visits from the person he cherishes dearly; that required another kind of courage.

Clearly, someone has been keeping a close eye on them; otherwise, the Emperor wouldn't have known that Mr. Zhang had gone to see the Thirteenth Militia and Fu Bi. Therefore, although Mr. Zhang and the Empress did not meet, I am still worried that this matter might have been seen by those who were following and spying on them, and they might use it as an excuse to cause trouble.

Indeed, some people have done this, but the outcome was tragic; they overdid it and lost their lives.

That morning, news spread throughout the capital that Prime Minister Wen had publicly announced a killing spree and ordered the execution of an informant.

The man sought an audience late at night with the chief minister who was staying in the west wing of the Daqing Hall, to report a "treasonous plot." Upon hearing this, Wen Yanbo immediately ordered someone to grind thick ink in a basin, then summoned the man again. He personally took the brush and heavily painted over the man's face, making it impossible for anyone to see his true appearance. After the forbidden gate was opened, he summoned the guards and ordered the man to be taken to the Donghua Gate and executed.

Therefore, no one knew who the informant was. Two days later, someone whispered that one of the eunuchs under Shi Duzhi seemed to have gone missing. I didn't know the person who was rumored to have disappeared, and I didn't know if it was true or not, but in any case, the palace was quiet from then on, and no more talk of "treason" circulated.

Since the princess fell ill, I have accompanied Consort Miao to the Empress's palace every day to report on the princess's condition. But one day, just as Consort Miao and I were about to leave, a messenger from the Empress's palace came to deliver a message: "The Empress has decided to stay in seclusion, fast, and write scriptures to pray for the Emperor's recovery until he resumes his duties as regent. During this period, all palace staff are exempt from the usual greetings and inquiries. From today onwards, Consort Miao need not go to the Rouyi Palace for the time being."

Miao Shuyi asked in surprise, "Isn't it necessary to avoid seeing other people while fasting and writing scriptures to pray for the Emperor's well-being? What is the Empress's reason for this decision?"

The visitor dared not answer and hastily took his leave. But with the Emperor's apparent unrest, the ladies of the palace, filled with anxiety, became even more vigilant, extremely sensitive to the slightest whisper. Yu Chongyi, who arrived later, told Miao Shuyi the news she had gathered: "Two officials of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau publicly stated that, observing the stars last night, they saw that the Emperor's unrest foreshadowed a major upheaval in the country. They claimed that if the Empress followed precedent and ruled from behind the curtain, the nation would be at peace. They also drafted a petition and gave it to the Prefect, asking him to pass it on to Minister Wen."

Miao Shuyi was slightly startled upon hearing this: "Those ministers in the court hate it when people bring up the matter of Empress Zhangxian ruling from behind the curtain. If the Empress were to rule from behind the curtain, would they agree to it?"

Yu Chongyi said, "We still don't know what Wen Xiangong's attitude is. I heard that he smiled at Shi Duzhi, then put away the petition without saying anything more."

Miao Shuyi asked in a low voice, "What are the backgrounds of these two officials in charge of astronomy? Have they had any contact with the Empress before?"

Consort Yu shook her head and said, "Who knows? But a couple of days ago, these two asked Chief Wu to take them to the Daqing Hall. They waited where the two chief ministers were gathered, holding up a petition and telling the prime ministers that the country should not dig a canal in the north, changing the course of the Yellow River, which would cause the emperor's health to be uneasy. This was clearly aimed at Prime Minister Fu, because it was Prime Minister Fu who decided to open that canal... So it seems they are not people who are close to the Empress. Today, when I heard them suggest that the Empress should participate in government affairs, I thought they had suddenly changed their minds and wanted to curry favor with the Empress again..."

Miao Shuyi asked again, "So, the Empress announced that she would stay in her quarters and not see anyone in the palace because of this?"

Yu Chongyi said, "That's right. I heard that this morning, Chief Deng told her about this with great joy, but I didn't expect her expression to change at that time. She immediately sent someone to order her to stay in her room, eat vegetarian food, and write scriptures. She neither went out nor met with any idle people, clearly showing that she did not want to get involved in politics."

Miao Shuyi seemed to understand: "Could it be that these two are trying to add fuel to the fire at this critical juncture and incite the ministers' resentment towards the Empress?"

Yu Chongyi smiled slightly, her expression unreadable.

Miao Shuyi still had a question: "But shouldn't the Director of Astronomy have few opportunities to meet with the Empress? Why would they target the Empress like this? Could it be that someone is behind this?"

That's what I wanted to ask too, but Yu Chongyi couldn't answer her question. In the end, it was Mr. Zhang who gave a reasonable explanation.

When I told him, who had just returned from the Funing Palace, about the Astronomical Bureau's request for the Empress to attend court, he was surprised and slightly uneasy. He quickly asked me, "What was the Empress's reaction?"

I told him the truth, and he breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "If she shows even the slightest joy, she will have fallen into the trap of a villain."

He then told me that Jia Changchao, the current governor of Beijing, had always disliked Fu Bi and had dealings with Wu Jilong. The previous protests by the Director of Astronomy regarding the Grand Canal were likely orchestrated by Jia Changchao through Wu Jilong. Therefore, their request for the Empress to attend to state affairs again was certainly not out of goodwill. If the Empress showed any intention of ruling from behind the curtain, it would firstly alert the chief ministers, and secondly, if the Emperor recovered and learned of this, he would become even more wary and suspicious of the Empress, potentially leading to more serious consequences.

The Lonely City Closes (A Princess Who Fell in Love with a Eunuch) Falling Flowers and Wind Play with Clear Autumn Rain 54. Recovery

Chapter word count: 3875 Update time: 08-08-21 17:05

Rehabilitation

The next day, Wen Yanbo summoned the two officials in charge of astronomy to the west wing of the Daqing Hall for questioning. It is unknown what he said to them, but when the two came out, the palace servants outside the hall found them looking terrified, and they practically ran away with their heads in their hands.

Afterwards, Wen Yanbo gathered the officials of the two prefectures in the main hall and displayed their petitions to the public. The officials present were immediately enraged upon seeing them and questioned them loudly, their voices echoing throughout the hall: "How dare such scoundrels speak so recklessly about matters of state! Their crimes deserve death! Why not execute them?"

Wen Yanbo replied, "Killing them would make this matter public, and with more people discussing it both inside and outside the palace, it would only make the Empress uneasy."

At this point, the ministers already knew the Empress's attitude and assumed that she also had a good impression of him, so they all nodded in agreement.

This discussion was not kept secret from the palace attendants, and thus quickly spread to the inner palace. Of course, this situation was likely intentionally orchestrated by the prime ministers. Subsequently, they summoned the astronomer to the palace, and Wen Yanbo, in front of all the officials and attendants, publicly announced the punishment for the two men: "Previously, the court dredged a canal, allowing the river water to flow from the Shanghu River in Chanzhou through the Liuluo Canal and into the Henglong Old Course. You said that this canal was diverted to the due north, causing His Majesty's health to be uneasy. Now, we trouble you two to go and measure whether the Liuluo Canal is indeed due north in the capital."

This was a pretext to demote the two men under the guise of measuring directions. The official in charge of astronomy turned pale upon hearing this and repeatedly turned to Wu Jilong, hoping he could plead for them. Wu Jilong also pleaded with Wen Yanbo to keep them, arguing that the palace's astronomical affairs still needed the two officials in charge.

Wen Yanbo questioned, "I'm afraid what they want to get involved in is not just astronomy. These two are of low rank and have no power to interfere in state affairs. Their presumptuous remarks must be instigated by someone."

Wu Jilong remained silent and dared not respond. As a result, the two officials in charge of astronomy were expelled from the capital and sent to measure the Liuluo Canal.

Wen Yanbo's handling of the "treason" and the matter of the Director of Astronomy amazed everyone in the palace. Originally, because of the Lantern Brocade incident, everyone thought he was a member of Wen Cheng's faction, but no one expected him to defend the Empress so much.

"Do you think it's possible that Minister Wen knew the Empress forbade palace maids from singing 'Remembering the Treacherous Minister in the Red Palace,' and that's why he's returning the favor?" Zhang Chengzhao asked me.