Novelas PaiPai - Capítulo 49
The Emperor smiled slightly and said kindly, "It's alright, Madam, please take your seat."
Madam Wen bowed in thanks, then left with her head lowered.
Afterwards, the banquet began. Each round of wine was accompanied by music, dance, and variety show performances. However, the Emperor was not very interested and turned to the Empress, saying, "Princess Xianmu has not been gone for long. Listening to these court dances is too noisy."
The Empress suggested, "Perhaps we should pause the ensemble performance and have one or two people play the flute and pipe. In this way, there will be music, but it won't be too noisy."
"Xiao Di..." The Emperor pondered, as if recalling something, and began to smile slightly. "I remember one year during the Qian Yuan Festival, Cao Lang also played 'Qing Ping Yue' on the dragon flute in the palace, and Miss Du accompanied him on the konghou. The flute's sound was clear and melodious like the wind under the bamboo, while the konghou's sound was ethereal and cool like glacial water. The two sounds sometimes separated and sometimes combined, and they complemented each other perfectly. It was very pleasant to listen to, and it truly had the feeling of lingering sound."
The Empress smiled and said, "At that time, my younger brother was only a teenager, and it is no longer convenient for him to perform for His Majesty in the palace. Besides, it is difficult to find Miss Du here again..."
The Emperor nodded and said wistfully, "Indeed, now that I think about it, I can only lament that this melody should only exist in the world."
Zhang Weiji, who was standing by, heard this and said with a smile, “Although it is inconvenient for Cao Lang to go to the palace again, his eldest son is not old yet, only fourteen years old. If he plays in the palace, it may not be too impolite… During the New Year’s Day banquet, the Empress ordered me to send food to Cao Gongzi who was waiting outside. When I found him in the back garden, I saw him sitting on a rock playing the flute. The sound of the flute was even more melodious than that of the musicians from the Imperial Music Academy.”
As usual, the princess sat near the emperor and empress. Upon hearing Cao Ping mentioned, her eyes shone like the clear water of a lake under the spring sun, sparkling and radiant. At this moment, she paid even closer attention to the emperor's expression, staring at him intently, waiting for his reaction.
The Emperor was somewhat interested in this suggestion, and asked the Empress, "Did Ping-ge enter the palace today?"
The Empress replied, "He has arrived and is now seated with his father in the Zichen Palace."
The emperor then ordered Ren Shouzhong, who was standing beside him, to send someone to invite Cao Ping. After thinking for a moment, he asked Zhang Weiji, "Among the women in the music academy, whose konghou is the best played?"
Zhang Weiji said, "The harp music played by Lu Yingniang, the deputy envoy of Xianshao, is worth listening to."
Therefore, the Emperor ordered a harp to be set up in the palace and summoned Lu Yingniang inside. She then played the harp with Cao Ping.
A moment later, an imperial courtier moved the harp from the Imperial Music Academy to a corner of the main hall. The harp was about three feet tall, shaped like half a wooden comb, decorated with black lacquer, intricate carvings, and gold paintings. It had twenty-five strings and a base.
Lu Yingniang and Cao Ping entered the hall one after the other, bowed to the Emperor and Empress, and received the order to play "Qing Ping Yue." Afterward, the two stepped aside and quietly discussed the details of the musical arrangement before returning to their respective places. Lu Yingniang knelt behind the konghou, her head bowed and brows furrowed, preparing to strum the strings. Cao Ping, on the other hand, received the imperial gift of an eight-hole dragon flute, held it in one hand, and stood smiling in the hall, waiting quietly for the konghou to begin playing, without playing it first.
After a moment of silence, Lu Yingniang twirled her ten fingers, and a series of melodies, like jade striking each other or a mountain stream flowing, immediately rang out. The piece "Qing Ping Yue," which had been played many times by the sheng and pa at the music academy, sounded exceptionally clear and ethereal when performed by the konghou, as if it were a celestial sound from beyond the clouds.
Cao Ping waited until she finished playing a section before calmly bringing his flute to his lips. The sound of the konghou paused, and another melodious tune, as if carried by a gentle breeze, floated up into the air of the hall. Like a faint wisp of Ling Shui fragrance emanating from the mouth of a golden beast, the music seemed to carry the scent of morning flowers and trees, extending peacefully and slowly, meandering and dancing. If you listened attentively, you would feel your mind floating on the clouds.
After the first piece was played, the two began to play together. The sounds of the harp and flute intertwined and overlapped, like lotus flowers weeping with dew and fragrant orchids waving in the wind. The listeners held their breath and listened quietly. Sometimes it felt like touching a gentle breeze and drizzle, and sometimes it felt like being bathed in the cold moonlight.
Moreover, not only was the music captivating, but the two musicians were also exceptionally beautiful. Cao Ping's demeanor was beyond question, and Lu Yingniang, only sixteen or seventeen years old, possessed a slender figure, a graceful silhouette, and expressive eyes. Cao Ping frequently glanced at her between playing the flute, and she, in turn, stole glances at him several times. When their eyes met, a blush would rise to her cheeks.
However, this scene displeased the princess, and in the end she simply turned her head away from Cao Ping, lowered her eyes and pursed her lips, showing a hint of anger.
After the piece was finished, the Emperor praised with a smile: "Brother Ping, at such a young age, you have already learned most of your father's skills. This piece with Yingniang was quite good, it had a bit of the feeling of clouds gathering in an empty mountain."
All the concubines in the hall praised her, but the princess remained silent. Cao Ping glanced at her several times, as if waiting for a signal, but she remained seated with a cold expression, staring straight ahead, stubbornly refusing to look at him again.
For several days afterward, she did not mention Cao Ping or anything related to him again. Then one day, she strolled to the edge of Yaojin Pond, looked up at the distant willows in a daze, and after a while, she suddenly turned to me and said, "I want to learn the konghou."
The Lonely City Closes (The Princess Who Fell in Love with a Eunuch) The Pearl Pavilion is deserted, the summer day is long. 39. Imperial Censor
Chapter word count: 2230 Update time: 08-08-21 16:15
39. Censor
I relayed the princess's message to Miao Shuyi, who chuckled and said, "How can she study properly? She'll probably just study haphazardly for a couple of days and then forget about it and never touch it again."
Despite saying this, she still brought it up with the Empress, who then ordered someone to select an old musician skilled in playing the konghou to teach the princess. The result was far beyond Miao Shuyi's expectations. Since she began learning, the princess practiced every single day, regarding it as the most important thing, and spent almost all her free time on the konghou. As a result, after several months, she was already playing quite well.
At first, the princess wasn't very sensitive to pitch. Once, while she was practicing alone, I gave her a slight reminder, saying that a few strings seemed off-key. She then adjusted them little by little, asking me to listen for her. Later, she always wanted me to check the pitch before each practice session. To make things easier, I found a flute, learned the basic scales, and blew the corresponding notes for her reference while tuning the strings. The princess was very satisfied with this tuning method and enthusiastically suggested that I learn to play the flute so that I could accompany her in the future.
I knew she was looking forward to playing a duet with Cao Ping someday, and before that, she might use me as a practice student. As for me, this initial intention was not pleasant, but I still accepted her suggestion and learned to play the flute from the musician.
As long as she's happy.
The Emperor was very interested in the Princess's harp skills and wanted to see her play several times, but the Princess always refused. If the Emperor suddenly arrived while she was practicing, she would stop immediately so that her father would not hear her immature music.
"Once my daughter feels that her playing is somewhat acceptable, she will invite her father to listen," she said to the emperor.
In August of the third year of the Huangyou reign, on the day of Miao Shuyi's birthday, at her mother's request, the princess finally mustered up the courage to prepare to play the konghou for her father after the luncheon at Yifeng Pavilion.
But they waited until noon that day, and the Emperor still hadn't arrived. Several ladies who had come to offer their birthday wishes to Consort Miao had been waiting for a long time, and they looked around with considerable confusion. Finally, Consort Yu couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that he was summoned to Ninghua Palace after the court session?"
Miao Shuyi forced a smile and said, "Yesterday the Emperor promised to come and watch the Princess play the konghou... Even if he doesn't give me this much face, he will still care about his daughter's affairs."
Despite saying this, she still seemed somewhat uneasy and summoned Zhang Chengzhao, asking him to go and check on the Emperor in the Chuigong Hall, where he was holding court that day. A short while later, Zhang Chengzhao returned and reported that the Emperor was still in the hall discussing matters with his ministers.
Miao Shuyi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at the ladies, saying, "I wonder what those officials are preventing the Emperor from doing, which has dragged on for so long."
Zhang Chengzhao continued, "I noticed that Consort Zhang sent a eunuch to wait behind the screen in the Chuigong Hall. I'm afraid the matter we're discussing today is related to her family."
The women immediately exchanged glances.
"Could it be that she once again instigated the Emperor to promote her uncle, and today she caused the Emperor to have his face sprayed with spittle by Bao Zheng in the palace?" Consort Yu then said.
The ladies all laughed upon hearing this.
Consort Zhang's uncle, Zhang Yaozuo, had previously been appointed as the Minister of the Three Departments, wielding significant financial power, which greatly displeased the officials, leading to numerous memorials from censors. Last August, He Tan, the Supervising Censor in charge of miscellaneous affairs, requested to be appointed Prefect of Hanzhou, citing the need to care for his elderly mother. Before departing, he submitted a memorial impeaching Zhang Yaozuo, arguing that his sudden favor was solely due to his kinship with the Empress, not his genuine talent. He pointed out that the position of Minister of the Three Departments was high-ranking and powerful; further advancement would lead to the positions of Grand Councilor and Grand Minister of State. He Tan argued that Zhang Yaozuo's appointment to the position already implicated him in political affairs, and that promoting him to the Grand Council would inevitably quell public discontent. Finally, he advised the Emperor to prioritize the nation's well-being and treat Zhang Yaozuo like Li Yonghe—granting him only wealth and status, not power, lest he lose the hearts of the people by favoring one person.
The Emperor then intended to dismiss Zhang Yaozuo from his post as Commissioner of the Three Departments. Consort Zhang, having discerned his intentions, then petitioned for an official position on behalf of her uncle, hoping that the Emperor would appoint Zhang Yaozuo as Commissioner of the Xuanhui Palace.
The Xuanhui Envoy was an extremely important official position, ranking below the Privy Councilor and above the Deputy Privy Councilor. He was in charge of the registers, promotions, and impeachments of all inner court departments, the three palace guards, and eunuchs. He also oversaw the ceremonies for suburban sacrifices, court assemblies, banquets, and the preparation of supplies. The Xuanhui Academy also reviewed the tributes from both inside and outside the palace. This was a prestigious and well-paid position, and it allowed the emperor to intervene in palace affairs through his leadership of all inner court departments. This was why Consort Zhang strongly urged the emperor to appoint her uncle as Xuanhui Envoy.
Finally, the Emperor agreed. On the day the edict of promotion was announced, Consort Zhang escorted him to the palace gate, patting his back and repeatedly instructing him, "Your Majesty, do not forget the Commissioner of Xuanhui today." The Emperor readily agreed and announced in the palace that Zhang Yaozuo was dismissed from his position as Commissioner of the Three Departments and instead appointed him as Commissioner of the Southern Court of Xuanhui, Military Governor of Huaikang, Commissioner of Jingling Palace, and Commissioner of the Tongqunmu (a military post). Unexpectedly, the very decree sparked a huge uproar.
Several officials voiced their opposition in the hall, but the emperor ignored them. After the court session, Wang Juzheng, the Vice Censor-in-Chief, detained the officials from various departments who had come to court to remonstrate with the emperor, and led all the officials of the Censorate and the remonstrance officials of the Censorate to the hall to argue their case.
The various departments usually take turns attending court to discuss matters, and not everyone attends every day. This time, the censors and remonstrators jointly went to court to remonstrate, which was an extraordinary event that was rare in a century. The current emperor was already very angry, but Wang Juzheng, along with censor Bao Zheng, palace censor Zhang Zexing, palace censor Tang Jie, and remonstrators Chen Xu and Wu Kui, took turns stepping forward and loudly urging him to retract his order, showing no sign of giving up until they achieved their goal. Among them, Bao Zheng's words were particularly vehement, directly denouncing Zhang Yaozuo as "shameless, truly a filth of the Qing Dynasty, a demon in broad daylight," and then reasoning with the current emperor: "Ranks and rewards are public instruments of the world. They should not be excessively bestowed upon relatives of the harem and mediocre talents, so as to leave no room for loyal ministers and righteous men to be encouraged."
He launched into a long, rambling speech of several hundred words, his emotions running high. As he spoke, he stepped forward, approaching the throne, his spittle splattering directly onto the emperor's face. The emperor, unable to dodge under the watchful eyes of everyone, couldn't even shield himself with his sleeve and had to endure it. Finally, when he finished speaking, he slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and declared, "From now on, censors and remonstrators must report to the Secretariat and obtain an imperial decree before entering the palace," before coldly departing.