The Lonely City Closed

Chapter 48

Zhang Chengzhao said, "It's absolutely true, that's how the imperial ceremonies are set out. The Emperor probably didn't tell the princess because he felt it wasn't the right time yet... Anyway, there are still several years to go, plenty of time!"

After hearing Zhang Chengzhao's words, the princess's mood gradually improved, and she seemed to have put her engagement with the prince consort out of her mind again, continuing to enjoy her happy girlhood before marriage.

I think she herself understands that the title of "Imperial Son-in-Law" doesn't actually mean a princess's retainer. Her current age has also sparked her interest in exploring the mysteries of marriage. I even overheard her earnestly discussing with her maid the relationship between a concubine's "bedtime service" and gaining favor when I passed by her window. But now, she's clearly willing to hide behind Zhang Chengzhao's derogatory interpretation of "Imperial Son-in-Law," deliberately ignoring the true role Li Wei will play in the future. After all, accepting someone she doesn't like as "Supervisor of the Princess's Residence" is much easier than accepting him as her husband.

The Lonely City Closes (The Princess Who Fell in Love with the Eunuch) A Divine Song: Fisherman's Pride 37. Shu Brocade

Chapter word count: 2081 Update time: 08-08-21 16:14

37. Shu brocade

On the Lantern Festival that year, the Emperor led his concubines and princesses to Xuande Tower to view the lanterns. As in previous years, there were still dragon lanterns and phoenix candles on the upper floor and fireworks below. However, when Consort Zhang appeared beside the throne, her brocade dress made the lanterns, which were originally worthy of competing with the moon, pale in comparison.

Consort Zhang wore a long, flowing skirt with wide sleeves, a crimson silk collar, a shawl, and a jade pendant—all of which were no different from her usual attire. What was different was the outer garment she wore. This outer garment was made of a rare brocade, soft and flowing, with a substantial feel. It had a purplish-red base, adorned with lantern patterns woven in gold thread, interspersed with lotus designs. The entire brocade was dazzlingly colorful, shimmering brilliantly under the lamplight, almost blinding to the eye.

The dynasty valued frugality, and Emperor Zhenzong once issued an edict prohibiting the use of brocade or gold thread in clothing, and forbidding the use of gold as ornamentation. Although this prohibition has been relaxed somewhat, even within the palace, those who use gold thread to weave brocade for clothing are still very rare. The concubines, who always paid close attention to each other's attire, were even more curious upon seeing Consort Zhang dressed so elaborately. Many young ladies came over to examine her closely, praising her repeatedly, some even touching her clothes with envy in their eyes.

Although Miao Shuyi and Yu Chongyi did not go forward to look at it, they frequently turned their heads to look. Later, Yu Chongyi couldn't help but ask Qiuhe, who came with her, "What kind of fabric is Zhang Niangzi's jacket made of? The pattern looks quite novel."

Qiuhe replied, "It looks like lantern brocade from Shu... I've only heard Chu Shangfu mention it, but I've never had the chance to see the real thing. I don't know if I'm wrong."

Consort Zhang, who overheard this from the side, looked quite proud and said to Qiu He, "Director Dong is indeed knowledgeable; this is indeed lantern brocade."

Qiu smiled faintly and bowed slightly to her, without answering.

The Emperor had been watching silently, but after hearing Consort Zhang's words, he asked her, "The lantern brocade is not a palace item. Where did you obtain it?"

Consort Zhang turned to him, then lowered her head and answered softly, "These were woven by Wen Yanbo when he was the governor of Chengdu. Later, when he returned to the capital, his wife gave some to me."

Two years ago, numerous natural disasters occurred, rivers overflowed and people were displaced. Chancellor Chen Zhizhong was impeached by officials who accused him of offering no practical solutions and relying solely on fortune tellers and diviners. Chen Zhizhong then resigned under the pretext of a foot ailment and was appointed as the prefect of Chenzhou. Now, the chancellors are Song Xiang of the "Great Song" and Wen Yanbo, who had previously distinguished himself in suppressing rebellions.

It was common knowledge in the palace that Wen Yanbo and Consort Zhang's father were old friends. Consort Zhang's father, Zhang Yaofeng, had once been a retainer of Wen Yanbo's father, Wen Ji. In recent years, Consort Zhang had been working to win over court officials and gain their support. She used this relationship to establish a family friendship with Wen Yanbo, recognizing him as her uncle. She also frequently contacted his wife, revealing information about the court to her in order to help Wen Yanbo get promoted.

After Wen Yanbo became the prefect of Chengdu, he returned to the capital and was soon appointed as a Vice Chancellor. Later, Wang Ze, a follower of the Maitreya sect, rebelled in Beizhou. The Emperor was deeply worried because Beizhou was close to the capital. One day, he said to his consorts in the palace, "None of the ministers in power have stepped forward to share the burden of the country. They come to the palace every day to see the Emperor, but none of them have the intention to quell the rebellion." Consort Zhang immediately sent Granny Jia out of the palace to tell Wen Yanbo what she had said. The next day, Wen Yanbo went to the palace and requested permission to go to Beizhou to defeat the enemy. The Emperor was delighted and appointed him as the commander, leading a large army to besiege Wang Ze. Later, he successfully captured the enemy and quelled the rebellion. The Emperor then rewarded Wen Yanbo for his merits and appointed him as Chancellor.

"You and the Wen family really seem like one big family, always remembering to save the benefits for each other," the Emperor said to the Consort with a half-smile.

Consort Zhang remained calm and smiled, replying, "Although Minister Wen has a past relationship with my father, as he is a high-ranking official, how could I possibly order him around? Everything I own belongs to Your Majesty. Minister Wen sent this gift through you, ostensibly to make clothes for me, but in reality, he personally provided local products from Shu to Your Majesty as a token of his loyalty. Speaking of which, I am deeply grateful for the lantern brocade you presented me with. I have no way to repay you but to bow again in thanks."

After speaking, she gracefully bowed to the Emperor. The Emperor accepted the bow with composure, then helped her to her feet, smiled at her, and gently instructed her: "This dress is beautiful, but the gold-embroidered and intricately decorated fabric is too extravagant. Wear it today, and never wear it again."

Consort Zhang readily agreed, then glanced at the other concubines around her who were waiting to see her reprimanded by the Emperor, her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction.

Although the Emperor had decreed that she should no longer wear the lantern-patterned brocade dress, this did not affect her mood in showing off her new clothes. After that, she moved her lotus-like steps back and forth on the Xuande Gate tower. After a while, she suddenly stopped next to Miao Shuyi, turned her head to examine Miao Shuyi's long dress, and slowly said, "The flowers on Miao's dress are quite unique."

The skirt was embroidered with several thousand-petaled lotus flowers. Miao Shuyi understood her meaning, and replied with a smile, "This concubine was unaware that the Imperial Concubine's jacket today had lotus flower patterns. I made an unwise choice of clothing and have overstepped my bounds. I hope the Imperial Concubine will forgive me. In the future, this concubine will definitely inquire before going out and will not make such a mistake again."

Consort Zhang feigned a smile and said, "I was just praising Sister Miao's technique; I had no other intention. Please don't misunderstand."

As he spoke, he slowly walked away, moving to a less crowded spot on the side, where he leaned against the railing and leisurely watched the colorful lights of the mountain sheds and the dust from five nights of traffic below.

Clearly, her earlier display of defiance towards Consort Miao had displeased the princess. The princess glared at the Consort for a long while, then summoned Zhang Chengzhao, ordered him to bow his head, and whispered a few words in his ear. Zhang Chengzhao covered his mouth and chuckled, then nodded and tiptoed back downstairs.

I asked the princess in a low voice what she wanted him to do, and she said, "I'm a little cold, so I asked him to fetch my cloak."

Of course, that wasn't the truth; there was an undisguised smile in her eyes. But I didn't press her for details, and besides, I soon saw the answer.

Several fireworks called "Fire Dragonflies" suddenly soared up from below Xuande Tower, heading straight for the corner where Consort Zhang was standing. Startled, Consort Zhang screamed and retreated, but two sparks still landed on her.

As a result, two holes were branded into the brocade lantern made of silk and gold thread, which were quite conspicuous on the shoulder of the jacket.

During this time, the princess acted very innocently. She even screamed along with Consort Zhang when she was dodging the fire dragonflies, and she herself covered her face and ran around as if trying to avoid them, repeatedly shouting, "Ah, ah, I'm so scared!"

Finally, when she saw Consort Zhang clutching her chest, staring at the hole in the lantern brocade, looking utterly terrified, she stopped, turned her back to the crowd, pressed her forehead against my chest, and silently laughed until she bent over.

The Lonely City Closes (The Princess Who Fell in Love with the Eunuch) A Divine Song: Fisherman's Pride 38. Fairy Melody

Chapter word count: 2749 Update time: 08-08-21 16:14

38. Xian Shao

In March, news came from outside the palace that the Grand Princess of Wei was critically ill.

Princess Wei, the eldest daughter of Emperor Taizong, was the only surviving sibling of Emperor Zhenzong and was always deeply loved and respected by the current emperor. Although she was a princess, she was virtuous, respectful, and frugal, just like the characters in "Biographies of Exemplary Women." After marrying into the imperial family, she was filial to her parents-in-law, respected her husband, treated her husband's concubines well, and regarded her illegitimate sons as her own.

Later, the imperial son-in-law, Li Zunxu, had an affair with the princess's wet nurse. After the affair was discovered, some officials suggested severely punishing the son-in-law, even to the point of taking his life. Emperor Zhenzong hesitated, so he summoned the princess first and tentatively said, "I have something I want to tell you, but I'm worried..." Before he could finish speaking, the princess realized what was happening and immediately asked, "Is Li Zunxu alright?" As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, and she collapsed to the ground in sobs. Emperor Zhenzong therefore pardoned Li Zunxu, only demoting him to the position of Deputy Military Commissioner of Junzhou.

After the death of her husband, the princess stopped wearing fine clothes and adorning herself with flowers. She devoted herself to raising her husband's sons and often admonished them to uphold loyalty and righteousness. As a result, from the emperor to all the officials in the court, everyone praised her virtue. The current emperor often uses her as an example to teach the princess to abide by the law, avoid arrogance, and fulfill her duties as a wife and love her husband, so as to serve as a model for women all over the world.

Upon hearing of her illness, the Emperor immediately dispatched Zhang Maoze, an official from the Imperial Pharmacy, to lead imperial physicians to the Grand Princess's residence for examination. From the Empress, the Noble Consort, and the Princess down, all the officials went to her residence to inquire about her condition, bowing with the courtesy due to family members. The Empress personally served the Grand Princess medicinal tea, her attitude as respectful as that of the Grand Princess's wife.

The imperial physician said the illness was serious, and upon receiving the news, the Emperor went to the residence of the Grand Master. Seeing that the Grand Master was seriously ill and could no longer see, the Emperor was deeply saddened. With tears in his eyes, he stepped forward and personally licked the Grand Master's eyes. Everyone around him wept at the sight.

The current emperor later turned to the descendants of the former emperor and asked them what they wished for, intending to promote them to higher ranks and titles. However, the former emperor, on his sickbed, admonished his son: "How can you use your mother's illness to ask the emperor for rewards?" The current emperor then offered three thousand taels of silver, but the former emperor firmly declined to accept it.

Upon returning to the palace, the Emperor ordered a search for the best physicians in the land, promising official positions to anyone who could cure the Empress. He also bestowed upon the Empress's residence the inscription in gold: "Great Compassionate Thousand-Handed and Eyed Bodhisattva." He further ordered the Princess to hand-copy one hundred scrolls of scriptures to pray for the Empress's well-being… but these measures failed to prolong the Empress's life. Several days later, the Grand Princess of Wei passed away. The Emperor personally visited her residence to mourn, suspended court for five days, and posthumously conferred upon her the title of Grand Princess of Qi, with the posthumous name "Xianmu."

To express his condolences, the current emperor even issued an edict to suspend music on the Qian Yuan Festival. The ministers all opposed this, saying that suspending music on the birthday was very inauspicious, so the current emperor did not insist.

Because of the passing of the emperor, the Qian Yuan Festival in mid-April was not as lively as in previous years. Although the rituals and procedures were exactly the same, the emperor looked dejected, and the others were not as cheerful and smiling as in the past.

On the emperor's birthday, according to custom, the chief minister, leading all civil and military officials, would line up below the Zichen Hall to bow and dance in congratulation. Then, the chief minister would enter the hall with a cup to offer birthday wishes to the emperor. After the ceremony, the emperor would bestow tea and soup upon all officials, and then move into the Forbidden City, where the empress and the ladies of the court would be waiting respectfully inside and outside the Funing Hall. Upon the emperor's entry, the ladies of the court would bow and offer their congratulations. The wives of the chief ministers also had the honor of entering the hall with a cup to offer birthday wishes to the emperor, and were required to tie a red silk handkerchief with gold trim to the emperor's arm as a symbol of blessing. Afterwards, the ladies would bow again and withdraw, taking their seats on the left side of the hall's corridor. Then, music would begin, and the imperial banquet would commence.

The wife of the prime minister who performed the toasting ceremony that day was Lady Wen Yanbo. After the toasting, a courtier presented a red silk handkerchief embroidered with gold thread. Lady Wen Yanbo accepted it and, as per custom, tied it around the emperor's arm. After she had tied it, the emperor asked her a question she had not expected: "Is this handkerchief made of lantern brocade?"

Lady Wen was taken aback at first, then blushed and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am terrified..."