Novelas PaiPai - Capítulo 35
The remonstrances of the senior officials to protect the empress were merely the beginning of a counterattack against Xia Song. The final result of the palace turmoil was that Xia Song was dismissed from his position as Privy Councilor and appointed Prefect of Henan.
In April of that year, Censor He Tan submitted a memorial impeaching Xia Song, directly pointing out that "his nature is wicked, his desires are extravagant, his learning is erudite but not genuine, his conduct is hypocritical yet firm, he possesses the soft and gentle qualities of a delicate person, lacks the uprightness expected of a high-ranking official, he does not consider his integrity when serving the emperor, and he is not sincere with his subordinates..." He further mentioned Xia Song's long-standing collusion with the eunuch Yang Huaimin, and his cover-up during the palace turmoil. He said that now that Yang Huaimin had been dismissed, Xia Song alone remained in the capital, still holding a high position, "and the hearts of people both inside and outside the capital are filled with indignation." He earnestly requested the emperor to dismiss Xia Song, "for the sake of the country and to appease the hopes of the people."
He anticipated that Xia Song might again use the "faction" issue, which the Emperor disliked, as a pretext for his defense. Therefore, he stated in his memorial beforehand: "I expect Xia Song to know that my memorial is meant to be false and that I am a member of a faction. However, Song has clearly committed wrongdoings, so how can it be called false? I have never attached myself to anyone, so how can I be called a member of a faction? If Song still tries to cover up his mistakes, I request to discuss his guilt in person. I humbly beseech Your Majesty's wisdom and submit my sincere apologies."
Following him, several other officials submitted memorials criticizing Xia Song's treachery. Coincidentally, an earthquake occurred in the capital at that time, so the Emperor summoned Hanlin Academician Zhang Fangping to his private quarters that night and said to him, "Xia Song is treacherous, which has caused such a celestial anomaly. Please draft a decree for me to send him out of the capital."
Zhang Fangping was overjoyed and asked to draft a rebuttal, intending to directly accuse Xia Song of his crimes in the imperial edict. The emperor thought about it and finally sighed, "Let's save him some face and draft it on the grounds of 'equal distribution of labor and leisure,' without mentioning his faults."
Although Xia Song was given ample face, he still harbored a glimmer of hope and, despite his guilt, refused to leave, submitting a memorial requesting to remain in the capital. He Tan, angered again, reiterated his advice: "The court bestows the utmost favor and honor upon its ministers, and Xia Song's appointment is already an extreme honor. How can he disregard his integrity and shamelessly make such a request? Moreover, Xia Song's treachery and cunning are well-known throughout the land. Your Majesty's divine decision to dismiss this key official has been met with widespread celebration by officials both inside and outside the court. It is inappropriate to allow him to remain in the court at his own discretion. Confucius advised keeping away from sycophants, for sycophants by the ruler's side are sure to harm the administration. I humbly request that Xia Song not be ordered to reconsider his previous appointment and be urged to proceed to his new post."
"Later, the Emperor summoned He Tan to the side hall at the Inner East Gate. He Tan continued to argue vehemently, his demeanor impassioned, indicating that there was no room for negotiation on this matter." Mr. Zhang took back the archived copy of the memorial from my hand and told me, "The Emperor then sarcastically asked him, 'In ancient times, there were those who would break their heads to remonstrate; can you do that too?' He Tan replied, 'In ancient times, if the ruler did not heed advice, the minister would break his head; but now Your Majesty accepts advice readily, how dare I steal your praise and place the blame on the ruler!'"
I couldn't help but laugh when I heard this: "He said it well, which both avoided the threat of being beheaded and gave the emperor a way out to accept the advice."
Mr. Zhang also smiled and said, "That's right. After hearing this, the Emperor gladly accepted the advice and did not change his previous order. He resolutely sent Xia Song to Henan."
There is something I have been pondering these past few days, so I am bringing it up to ask Mr. Zhang: "Sir, has His Majesty also seen through Xia Song's sinister intentions in framing the Empress? On the surface, this transfer to a post outside the capital seems to be due to pressure from those who speak out, but in reality, it is a way for His Majesty to punish Xia Song. Otherwise, he could have kept Xia Song in the same way he insisted on retaining Chancellor Chen."
Mr. Zhang did not give a clear answer, but said, "Didn't you hear him say, 'Xia Song is treacherous and evil'? Who is right and who is wrong, who can deceive whom, it all depends on how he chooses to act."
(to be continued)
The Lonely City Closes (The Princess Who Fell in Love with a Eunuch) The waters of the Canglang River Wash My Tassels 27. Xiao Song
Chapter word count: 3968 Update time: 08-09-13 15:38
27. Xiao Song
Before the Dragon Boat Festival, I found an opportunity to leave the palace to see Cui Bai and tell him about Qiu He. For me, this was a task many times more difficult than testing the meaning of the ink divination. Initially, I had given him hope, and now I was personally telling him that hope had been shattered, which made me extremely ashamed. I stammered and briefly recounted the events to him, not even mentioning that the Emperor favored Qiu He, which made me afraid to look him in the eye for a long time.
“It’s alright,” Cui Baihe comforted me instead. “You’ve always tried your best to help me. Even if things don’t go well, it’s not your fault. It’s just that I’m unlucky enough to not have a beautiful woman like Miss Dong.”
I only hope that time will allow this marriage to continue: "Or, wait a little longer, until the Emperor forgets about the leap month, and the Empress may ask him to release Miss Dong from the palace again."
Cui Bai smiled slightly and said, "Huaiji, to be honest, since the engagement was discussed, I have been constantly uneasy, but I feel overjoyed. The progress has been too smooth, which is unlike the fate of a poor, down-on-his-luck man like myself. Besides, she lives in the deep palace, used to a life of luxury and carefree ease, like a celestial maiden. If she marries me, she will only be able to spend her life with a simpleton who only knows painting, worrying about daily necessities. Even if she has no complaints, I will not be at peace. Now that she has been promoted, she will surely have a better future. Why should I burden her?"
I wanted to offer some words of advice, but that's never been my forte. After thinking for a long time, I could only say, "Miss Dong wouldn't think that way."
“I know,” Cui Bai said, his gaze sweeping over a painting of distant mountains and misty waters hanging on the wall in front of him. After a moment, he slowly recited: “Liu Lang already lamented that Penglai Mountain was far away, let alone being separated by tens of thousands of Penglai Mountains.”
This is a line from a poem by Song Qi, a Hanlin scholar of the current dynasty, adapted from a poem by Li Shangyin, in the poem "Partridge Sky".
Song Qi, courtesy name Zijing, passed the imperial examination in the same year as his elder brother Song Xiang. According to the Ministry of Rites' report, Song Qi should have ranked first and Song Xiang third. However, Empress Dowager Zhangxian did not want her younger brother to be ranked ahead of her elder brother, so she promoted Song Xiang to the top scholar and placed Song Qi tenth. Now the two brothers serve as officials in the court, and people call Song Xiang "Big Song" and Song Qi "Little Song".
Song Xiang was well-versed in historical facts and was refined and dignified. Song Qi was more literary than his brother, but he loved banquets and outings and was fond of romance. He was always unrestrained and frivolous. This poem, "Partridge Sky," records one of his romantic encounters.
That day, Song Qi rode his horse through the bustling streets of the capital, just as the Empress and her retinue returned from offering incense at Xiangguo Temple. Song Qi pulled his horse aside to the side of the street. A procession of imperial carriages passed by, and as one of them passed him, a lady-in-waiting lifted the curtain from inside. Two glimpses of her beautiful face flashed across his features, and she smiled at her companion, saying, "That's Song Qi!"
After speaking, the embroidered curtain fell again, and the imperial carriage rumbled onward toward the palace. Though it was only a fleeting glimpse, Song Qi had already memorized the woman's beautiful face and melodious voice. Upon returning home, he immediately picked up his brush and wrote a poem, "Partridge Sky": "A painted carriage and carved saddle met on a narrow road, a heart-wrenching cry from behind the embroidered curtain. Though I lack the wings of a phoenix to fly with you, our hearts are connected by a single thread of understanding. A golden house, a jade cage, carriages flowing like water, horses like dragons. Liu Lang already lamented the distance to Penglai Mountain, how much more so now, separated by countless mountains."
This poem was widely sung throughout the capital, even reaching the imperial palace. When the Emperor heard it, he asked which carriage the palace maid had ridden in that day, and who had called out "Little Song." Finally, a palace maid timidly stepped forward and knelt down, saying that she had once seen the Emperor summon the Hanlin Academician during a banquet, and the eunuchs around her whispered among themselves, "That's Little Song." Later, she happened to meet him in the carriage, and on a whim, she called out his name.
The Emperor then summoned Song Qi and calmly discussed the matter. Song Qi, filled with fear, apologized, but the Emperor laughed and said, "In your poem, you lamented that Penglai Mountain was far away. In my opinion, Penglai Mountain is not far from you." He then bestowed the woman upon him.
This incident, like the tale of "writing poems on red leaves," has become a widely circulated and celebrated story both inside and outside the palace. A subtle, mutual admiration easily blossoms between young palace women and renowned scholars outside the palace, and this story further fuels this, offering a glimpse into a potentially platonic relationship. However…
“Pengshan is not far from anyone.” The happy ending did not hinder Cui Bai’s judgment, and he said this very clearly.
I think he could vaguely sense the Emperor's feelings for Qiuhe from the few words I deliberately downplayed.
***************
Although Xia Song had left the capital, the remonstrating official Wang Zhi was still in court. In September of that year, he again brought up the matter of Consort Zhang's "meritorious service in protecting the emperor" to the emperor, saying that Consort Zhang should be promoted to a higher rank to show the emperor that rewards and punishments are fair.
The Emperor naturally had this intention, but the ministers objected, and the Empress's consent was also required, so it was difficult to issue an edict for the time being. Unexpectedly, the Empress finally relented and said to the Emperor in public at the Double Ninth Festival banquet: "Consort Zhang has served Your Majesty for many years and has given birth to three princesses, but she has a low rank and has not been promoted for many years. Now that she has made contributions, why not promote her to the rank of Consort, so as to express Your Majesty's intention to comfort and reward her?"
The Emperor gazed silently at the Empress, who remained composed and undisturbed. Everyone held their breath and watched for a long time before the Emperor spoke: "On the day the bandits caused trouble, it was entirely thanks to the Empress's command and coordination of the guards that we were able to protect them. If there is to be a reward, the Empress should be the first to be given."
Sitting beside a white sandalwood chrysanthemum, the Empress smiled slightly, her smile as delicate as an autumn flower: "I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's favor. As the Empress, my rank and status are already high enough that nothing more can be added. Moreover, Your Majesty has taken me as your wife, and I have no way to repay you. What I have done for Your Majesty is merely my duty, so how dare I ask for credit or reward?"
Therefore, in October of that year, the Emperor promoted Lady Zhang to the rank of Imperial Concubine and decided to hold a formal investiture ceremony for her on a chosen day.
The Hanlin scholar who was commissioned to write the imperial edict for Consort Zhang was none other than the eloquent "Little Song" Song Qi.
Previously, there had never been a formal investiture ceremony for a concubine promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine. The custom was for the Imperial Concubine to issue the investiture document, and if she declined, the ceremony would be cancelled. Because the investiture ceremony was a grand affair, costing a great deal of manpower and resources, most of the Imperial Concubines knew how to keep a low profile and did not want to use it to attract attention or provoke criticism from palace staff and officials, so they all declined to participate. Song Qi probably naturally assumed that this newly promoted Imperial Concubine would think the same way, so he did not follow the proper procedures for the investiture ceremony. Instead of waiting for the reading of the investiture edict before the ceremony, he wrote the edict himself, did not send it to the Secretariat, obtained the seal of the Three Departments, and then submitted it to the Official Notice Office for stamping before presenting it to the Imperial Concubine.
He clearly made a mistake: not all the concubines did not want to undergo the investiture ceremony.
When Consort Zhang, who was about to perform the investiture ceremony, saw that this important imperial edict had been casually and easily delivered through the back door like a landlord's newly acquired concubine, she was furious. She threw the edict on the ground and refused to accept it. She then cried and complained to the emperor about Song Qi's negligence, which finally made the emperor agree to demote Song Qi to the post of prefect of Xuzhou.
When the details of Xiao Song's dismissal were revealed, people both at home and abroad sighed in dismay. Amidst this sigh, the beautiful Lady Zhang began her increasingly arrogant life as a concubine.
The ladies of the palace were naturally astonished by Zhang's sudden promotion. Everyone had guessed that she would be promoted sooner or later, but no one expected her to rise from a fourth-rank beauty to a first-rank imperial consort. The imperial consort was the head of the four consorts, second only to the empress. For many years, the emperor had kept the four consorts' positions vacant, and the ladies of the palace had at most risen to the second rank. Now, Zhang had been promoted so drastically that many concubines who had long ranked ahead of her, such as Consort Miao, the mother of Princess Fukang, and Consort Yu, the mother of the deceased eldest prince, suddenly found themselves ranked lower than her.
The ladies, dissatisfied, became even more interested in the inside story of Consort Zhang's ascension to the throne. Soon, someone discovered that since Xia Song left the capital, Consort Zhang had been in more frequent contact with Wang Zhi, and had privately bestowed upon him tens of millions of gold coins. With her ascension secured, Consort Zhang was overjoyed, even openly saying to others when mentioning Wang Zhi, "He is my family's remonstrating official."
This scandal of bribing court officials spread throughout the palace, eventually becoming known to everyone. It must have even reached Consort Zhang's ears, but she was not ashamed. Instead, as if deliberately provoking and demonstrating to the other ladies, she requested that the Emperor allow Wang Zhi to hold the imperial edict and proclaim the decree for her during the investiture ceremony.
The investiture ceremony for empresses and consorts should be carried by an official. The Emperor then referred this matter to the Secretariat for discussion. The officials of the Secretariat, who generally disdained Wang Zhi, argued that according to old custom, the official carrying the investiture must be of the rank of Attendant-in-Waiting or higher, and Wang Zhi did not possess this qualification. The Emperor relayed the Secretariat's words to Consort Zhang, who then seized the opportunity to request the Emperor to promote Wang Zhi. The Emperor surprisingly agreed, transferring Wang Zhi to the position of Attendant-in-Waiting of the Tianzhang Pavilion, ordering him to carry the investiture for the Consort during the investiture ceremony.
At the same time, he also promoted He Tan to the position of Assistant Minister of Rites and concurrently Imperial Censor in charge of miscellaneous affairs. He also explained the reason to He Tan in court: "You do not flatter those in power, so I have promoted you beyond the usual ranks."
Perhaps to compensate the Empress, the Emperor has been gradually promoting and ennobled many members of her relatives and clansmen, granting them generous salaries. He Tan remonstrated against this, saying that the court's rewards and honors were intended to reward meritorious officials, and that those without prior achievements should be evaluated based on their seniority. Now, the Emperor has been promoting members of the Empress's clan without cause, which is an irregular promotion. He feared that close relatives would try to climb the social ladder and harbor ulterior motives.
The Emperor responded, "The relatives of the Empress have no meritorious service, but the Empress is virtuous. This is an act of extending favor to relatives." He then did not change his previous order.