The Lonely City Closed

Chapter 127

—From *West Lake Anecdotes*

4. Grandmother

My great-grandmother was called "Big Mom".

example:

Prince Jia repeatedly said, "I must tell my madam (original note: Empress Wu), I cannot do this, I cannot do this." Empress Wu ordered Tuozhou, "Bring me the yellow robe, I will give it to him myself." The prince then pulled Tuozhou's elbow and wrapped it around a palace pillar. (Prince Jia was the son of Emperor Guangzong and the great-grandson of Empress Wu.)

—From *Records of Events and Events During Four Reigns: The Accession of Emperor Ning*

The grandmother is called "Niangniang".

example:

One day, the Temple God, clad in golden armor, went to Cishou Palace and asked the Empress Dowager, "Your Majesty, do I look good in this?" Empress Cao greeted him with a smile and said, "You look very well in armor. However, if you were to wear such things, what would become of the nation?" The Temple God remained silent and then removed the golden armor.

Emperor Zhezong was only ten years old when he ascended the throne, so Empress Xuanren listened to his decisions from behind a curtain. As he grew up, he never uttered a word. Empress Xuanren would often say to the emperor in the palace, "When ministers report on matters, they have something in mind, but why don't they say a word?" The emperor would only reply, "Your Majesty has already made the decision, so what should I say?" In this way, he remained respectful and silent for nine years.

—From "Miscellaneous Talks on Iron-Encircled Mountain"

Furthermore, since Emperor Shenzong addressed Empress Dowager Cao as "Niangniang" and Empress Dowager Gao as "Niangniang," it is likely that princes and princesses would address their legal mothers as "Niangniang" rather than "Niangniang."

In the Song Dynasty, in addition to "Niangniang" (娘娘), grandmothers were also called "Popo" (婆), "Taipo" (太婆), and "Mama" (妈妈). "Mama" could also be used to refer to one's mother.

V. Siblings

During the Song Dynasty, all princes addressed each other as "brother," regardless of age, and were distinguished by their birth order, such as "eldest brother," "third brother," and "ninth brother." Emperor Shenzong Zhao Xu was older than Prince Qi Hao, but he still addressed Hao as "second brother" instead of "second younger brother."

The emperor also addressed his sons in the same way; for example, Zhao Ji called Zhao Gou "Ninth Brother," and Zhao Gou called Zhao Yuan "Eldest Brother."

Princesses addressed each other as "elder sister" or "sister," also according to their birth order.

VI. How children refer to their parents

When emperors and members of the imperial family were in front of their parents and grandparents who were emperors and empresses, they referred to themselves as "臣" (chen, subject) rather than "儿臣" (erchen, son subject).

Princesses generally had few restrictions and could refer to themselves as "I" in everyday speech, but when submitting formal memorials, they had to use the term "concubine." Before the reign of Emperor Shenzong, the eldest princess had the privilege of not using the term "concubine" in her memorials, but later the Court of Rites argued: "Men and women should address their superiors as 'subject' or 'concubine,' which is a matter of principle. Now, all members of the imperial family, uncles, and close officials use the term 'subject,' so it is only right that the princess should use the term 'concubine.' Moreover, the etiquette of family members is difficult to apply to the court. We request that, starting with the eldest princess, all memorials submitted should use the term 'concubine' according to the title of the princess." Emperor Shenzong granted the request.

VII. How Concubines Refer to Themselves

Imperial concubines referred to themselves as "臣妾" (chenqie) or "妾" (qie) when addressing the emperor and empress. Some also used "奴家" (nujia) or "奴奴" (nunu), but this likely occurred when their rank was low. The empress also referred to herself as "臣妾" (chenqie) before the emperor.

Concubines could refer to themselves as "Benwei" but not "Bengong" because in the Song Dynasty, the residences of concubines could not be called palaces, but only pavilions, pavilions, or positions.

example:

After the music finished, Wanrong (Empress Liu of Emperor Gaozong) served tea and then reported to the Empress Dowager: "I have recently taught two girls named Qionghua and Lühua. They are skilled in playing the qin and ruan, playing chess, writing, painting bamboo, and reciting ancient texts. I would be happy to give them to Your Majesty." She then ordered them to present their skills and presented thirty pieces of music for the ruan that she had composed herself.

—From "Old Tales of the Martial Arts World"

8. The Empress Dowager's self-designation

Empress Dowager and Grand Empress Dowager referred to themselves as "this old woman".

example:

Empress Dowager Xiang wept and said to the ministers, "The country is in misfortune. The late emperor has no heir. This matter must be decided as soon as possible." Zhang Dun said sternly, "You should establish your younger brother, Prince Jian, as heir." The Empress Dowager said, "I have no son. All the princes are sons of Emperor Shenzong."

The Empress Dowager (née Gao) decreed: "My illness has worsened, and I will certainly not be able to see you all. Please assist the Emperor well." She also said: "After I pass away, there will surely be many who harass the Emperor. You should not listen to them." Then she summoned her attendants to serve the village feast, saying: "At next year's village feast, please remember me."

—From *Continuation of the Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government*

IX. The Emperor's Self-Proclaimed Title

"朕" (Zhen) is a familiar term, but it's worth noting that the emperor didn't always refer to himself this way. He used "朕" in court, when discussing matters with ministers, or in more formal settings when addressing his family. In his leisure time back in the palace, when chatting casually with his family, he mostly used the simplest term—"我" (Wo).

10. Titles for the Emperor

Apart from princes and princesses, everyone except the Empress Dowager, Empress, concubines, ministers, eunuchs, palace maids, and commoners usually addressed the emperor as "Guanjia" (官家) or "Dajia" (大家). When discussing matters privately within the palace, they also referred to him as "Guanli" (官里). However, in court or when submitting memorials, they were addressed as "Bixia" (陛下). Ministers also generally addressed the emperor as "Bixia" when discussing matters with him.

In short, compared to "Guanjia" (官家), "Bixia" (陛下) is a more formal and solemn title. The empress generally addresses the emperor as "Guanjia," but she may also address him as "Bixia" (陛下) in formal occasions or when discussing very serious matters.

One of the male protagonists in the third long novel of the side story series "The Lonely City (The Princess Who Fell in Love with a Eunuch)": Emperor Renzong Zhao Zhen

Chapter word count: 2308 Update time: 08-09-14 18:44

I'm now starting to conceive my third novel, but that doesn't mean I'll write it anytime soon. Looking at my first two novels, it was a long process from having the intention to actually putting pen to paper. "Yan'er Mei" took a year or two to conceive, and "Roufu Diji" took even longer—I've been thinking about it on and off for several years since middle school. So this one will probably take a long time to come too. :)

Let me first chat with you ladies about the topic and main characters. It's set in the Song Dynasty, specifically the Northern Song Dynasty. The female lead is Empress Cishun Guangxian Cao, whom I've always admired, and her husband, Emperor Renzong Zhao Zhen, naturally becomes one of the main characters as well. I've recently read many notes about him, mostly anecdotes about how he feared the remonstrating officials, which often made me laugh. This guy is quite interesting; I'll write a few excerpts for you ladies.

Emperor Zhao Zhen had two main characteristics: he was a womanizer and a vehemently opposed remonstrating officials. These two traits often put him in a state of inner conflict. Once, the minister Wang Deyong presented him with several palace women, which Zhao Zhen accepted with a smile. However, the remonstrating official Wang Su learned of this and immediately went to the emperor to remonstrate, demanding that Zhao Zhen send the women back. Zhao Zhen replied, "These women serve me, and I have grown accustomed to them and become quite close to them. Could you please allow me to keep them?" Wang Su solemnly replied, "It is precisely because I fear Your Majesty's closeness to them that I must raise this issue." Zhao Zhen was at a loss. With a troubled expression, he summoned his attendants and ordered, "Give each of the women presented by Wang Deyong three hundred strings of cash. Have them leave through the inner east gate immediately, quickly!" As soon as he finished speaking, tears began to fall. Seeing this, Wang Su said, "If Your Majesty agrees with what I said, then there's no need to make a decision so quickly. You can enter the palace first and gradually send them out." Zhao Zhen said with tears in his eyes, "Although I am the emperor, I am still a person with feelings. If I enter the inner palace later and see those palace maids crying and unwilling to leave, I'm afraid I won't be able to bear to send them away myself. You should stay here and wait for news." After a long time, a eunuch came to report, "The palace maids have all left." Only then did Zhao Zhen get up, his expression sorrowful.

Generally, favored concubines would receive promotions every few years, raising their rank as inner ladies. However, during the reigns of Emperor Renzong (Zhihe and Jiajing eras), no such promotions were made for a long time. The concubines were unhappy and repeatedly requested it, but Zhao Zhen always refused, saying that the court would not approve promotions without a reason. The concubines said, "Your words are like an imperial edict; who dares to disobey?" Zhao Zhen laughed, "You don't believe me? Then try it." So he issued an order, and sure enough, the court officials immediately reported, "No, we cannot comply." The concubines were still not giving up and requested that Zhao Zhen personally write the promotion documents for them. Zhao Zhen agreed, took out paper and pen, and wrote, "So-and-so from so-and-so palace is hereby promoted to so-and-so official position." The concubines, overjoyed to receive the imperial edict, left. On the day of receiving their monthly salaries, the concubines each presented the imperial edicts demanding a raise, but the department distributing the money ignored them and returned all the money, paying them the original amount they were owed. The women went berserk, rushing to Zhao Zhen to tear up the imperial edict and angrily saying, "So it can't be done!" Zhao Zhen wasn't angry, and laughed as he advised them to go back.

Although Emperor Zhao Zhen was quite uncomfortable being strictly controlled by the remonstrating officials, he was rarely angered, let alone arbitrarily punished them. He always appeared humble and receptive to advice, and even punished those who advised him to reject remonstrance. A special female official was assigned to comb Zhao Zhen's hair, one of whom was known as the "Hair-Combing Lady," and was greatly favored by him. One day, after court, Zhao Zhen removed his turban in his bedchamber and summoned the Hair-Combing Lady to comb his hair. While combing his hair, the Lady noticed a document in his robes and asked what it was. Zhao Zhen said it was a memorial from the censors, discussing the excessive number of concubines and suggesting a reduction. The Hair-Combing Lady retorted discontentedly, "With two offices and two systems, each household has its own singing and dancing. If an official's position is slightly satisfactory, they often add more. If the Emperor has only one or two concubines left, they say it's too 'feminine' and should be reduced. They just let those people have their own pleasure!" Zhao Zhen remained silent after hearing this. After a while, the lady in charge of combing her hair asked again, "Does Your Majesty intend to do as they say?" Zhao Zhen replied, "How dare I disobey the advice of the censors and remonstrators?" The lady then smiled and said, "If you truly intend to implement this, please dismiss me first!" Zhao Zhen immediately stood up, summoned the old eunuch and the palace register official, and ordered that all thirty women, starting with the lady in charge of combing her hair, be released from the palace. This was to be done immediately. It was close to mealtime, but he waited until all the palace women had been dismissed before he ate. Empress Cao, seeing his seriousness, dared not ask any questions until after the meal when they were having tea. She then asked him, "The lady in charge of combing her hair is someone Your Majesty has always favored; why was she the first to be dismissed?" Zhao Zhen replied, "This person advised me to reject remonstrances; how can she remain by my side!"

There's an incident involving the famous Judge Bao. Emperor Zhao Zhen doted on Consort Zhang, who desperately wanted him to appoint her father, Zhang Yaozuo, as the Xuanhui Envoy. Zhao Zhen ordered a court discussion, but the officials consistently refused. Consort Zhang used both soft and hard tactics, constantly whispering in his ear, until Zhao Zhen finally agreed to bring up the matter again. One day, as Zhao Zhen was about to attend court, Consort Zhang escorted him to the palace gate, patting his back and repeatedly reminding him, "Your Majesty, don't forget the Xuanhui Envoy today." Zhao Zhen nodded, "I know, I know." But no sooner had he announced the decree in court than Bao Zheng immediately stepped forward, unleashing a torrent of "NO NO NO..." He launched into a long, impassioned speech, arguing that the appointment was impossible. He was agitated and indignant, speaking loudly as he approached Zhao Zhen, pointing and gesturing at him closely, his spittle occasionally landing on the emperor's face. Zhao Zhen was stunned by what he said, daring neither to refute nor to wipe his face, only trying to shrink back to avoid being accidentally spit out by Lord Bao's flying spittle. Consort Zhang ordered her servants to inquire and learned that the Emperor had lost face because of her father's matter. Upon his return to the palace, she bowed and apologized to him. Only then did Zhao Zhen wipe his face with his sleeve, sighing, "Your Excellency, you spoke to me directly, spitting in my face! You only care about the Imperial Envoy, the Imperial Envoy, don't you know Bao Zheng is an Imperial Censor!"

On another occasion, when a Buddhist ceremony was being held in the palace, Emperor Zhao Zhen went to watch the festivities. He was so pleased with the performance that he ordered his attendants, "Give each monk a bolt of purple silk." The monks thanked him profusely, but the emperor suddenly changed his tone and earnestly instructed them, "Tomorrow when you leave the palace through the Donghua Gate, be careful to hide the purple silk in your bosoms so that no one can see them. Otherwise, the censors might write a fuss about it."

It must have been quite an achievement for an emperor to reach this level, right? :))

The Empress Cao, whom I want to focus on, was vastly different from her emperor husband. She was intelligent, shrewd, and knew when to be firm, but also understood the importance of discretion and appropriate compromise. More importantly, she remained kind and compassionate in her dealings with others. Among the empresses of the Song Dynasty, she is my favorite.

When Emperor Renzong Zhao Zhen accepted Cao as his concubine, he was only twenty-three years old. He will be the third young Song Dynasty emperor I will focus on, following Emperor Shenzong Zhao Xu and Emperor Gaozong Zhao Gou. Coincidentally, all of my stories are set in specific eras based on female protagonists, but they all coincide with the youth of these emperors, which suits my quirky tastes.

As for Zhao Zhen's appearance, there is a record in "Shao's Records of Things Heard and Seen". Hehe, it looks very similar to the passage in "Nine Songs" about the return of Lord Xinyang after praying for rain: When Emperor Renzong was about twenty years old, he returned from a sacrifice at the southern suburbs. He was sitting in a golden carriage. At that time, the sun had just risen, and the young emperor's face was radiant with the golden light, as if he were a celestial being.