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"You two... did you do anything intimate?" she asked tentatively.

I lowered my head, my cheeks burning.

The Empress suddenly turned her back and angrily said, "I warned you before not to get too close to the princess, but you didn't take it to heart at all?"

I knelt down, using this respectful posture to indicate my willingness to accept all reprimands and punishments, but I remained silent.

The Empress glanced at a Yue ware five-legged incense burner with colorful cloud patterns beside her and said, “The bond between you, master and servant, is like a piece of sandalwood. If placed on the divider in an incense burner, it will emit fragrant smoke that lasts all day long. But you are like children playing with fire, insisting on taking it out to burn as firewood. Not only is this a waste of resources, but it is also easy to attract a man-eating flame that will burn you!”

"It's too late to admit your mistake now," the Empress sighed. "The princess acts impulsively, doing whatever she wants without thinking. But you've always been sensible and composed in your dealings with others; you know how to behave appropriately! Tonight's events must have been because the princess was upset and took the initiative to get close to you, but why didn't you back down and avoid it, leading to this situation?"

Her tone wasn't filled with anger, but rather with a helpless disappointment, as if I truly were her child who had failed in her hunt. After a moment's hesitation, I finally decided to open my heart to her: "Your Majesty, the princess is different from you. Your Majesty is a tall and graceful kapok tree, capable of growing independently, blooming beautiful flowers on her spreading branches. But the princess is a wisteria vine, with slender, intertwined tendrils, unable to survive alone, needing to be joined with others, her blossoms blooming on the branches of the village. When she couldn't find a suitable tree to cling to, she temporarily used me as a support to climb... I know this is inappropriate, but I truly lack the courage to refuse her help."

The Empress sighed and looked at me with great emotion: "But, Huaiji, she is a wisteria, while you are not a tall tree, and you are not capable of supporting her climbing... You are serene and pure. If you were to be described as a 'xin wood,' you would be a herbaceous plant like Du Ruo or Daylily, growing by the water in the valley, drinking the dew and reciting poetry, pure and inactive. It is good to be content with your own life. Getting entangled with the vines will not only be of no benefit to her, but will also endanger your own survival."

I pondered for a moment, then solemnly bowed to her and said, "I understand the Empress's teachings. However, I am still willing to spend countless days alone facing the flowing spring water in exchange for one day of her refuge when she is helpless."

Noticing her surprised gaze, I forced a smile and said, "Actually, my wish is simply to be a tall tree."

……………………

The following morning, after the palace gates opened, Li Wei entered the palace, removed his official robes, and knelt barefoot before the Funing Hall to plead guilty to the Emperor. At that time, the princess had already returned to the Yifeng Pavilion with her mother, and the Emperor was about to attend the morning court session. He urged Li Wei to rise, saying that the matter could be discussed later. However, Li Wei remained kneeling in fear, repeatedly saying that he had failed in his duty to the Emperor and that his guilt was unforgivable, begging for punishment. Finally, the Emperor became very angry and said to him bluntly, "Get up quickly, otherwise, if you attract a crowd, your domestic disputes with the princess will become known throughout the court and the country. At that point, it won't just be a matter between the two of you anymore."

Li Wei then got up and waited for the emperor to go to court. He then went to the front of Consort Miao's pavilion to apologize to the princess.

Previously, an imperial eunuch had reported Li Wei's situation in front of the Funing Palace to Consort Miao. Upon hearing that he had come again, the princess was furious and refused to see him, and also forbade her mother to summon him. Therefore, Consort Miao did not allow him to enter the pavilion. After Li Wei stood outside the pavilion for a long time, an attendant from the Empress's Pavilion came and invited him to the Rouyi Palace to see the Empress.

Subsequently, Liang Duzhong and Han Shi, along with Jiaqingzi, Bai Maoxian, and other maids from the princess's residence, arrived one after another. After a brief greeting to the princess, they were all summoned to Rouyi Palace to receive questions from the empress.

Around noon, the Emperor returned to the inner palace and went straight to Rouyi Palace, where he summoned Consort Miao.

Consort Miao was gone for quite some time, and the princess grew impatient, asking me anxiously, "Would Li Wei have said anything to my parents?"

I smiled faintly at her and shook my head to reassure her, but privately, looking ahead to our future, I also felt that the future was uncertain, like a building shrouded in fog with no light in sight.

Li Wei most likely won't bring up my affair with the princess in front of the Emperor and Empress, but since the Empress has already noticed, she will definitely question Liang Dujian and Han Shi in secret. The whole story will not be hidden from her. The Emperor may already know, so I'm afraid it will be difficult for the princess and me to regain our former peace.

Later, Consort Miao returned to her chambers first, her expression indeed much more serious. After dismissing the attendants, she whispered to me whether the princess and I had behaved inappropriately. I remained silent, but the princess, naturally understanding her meaning, immediately and vehemently denied it, refusing to let her mother say another word. Consort Miao, helpless, could only say, "I don't want to pursue this further now, I just hope this matter can be resolved quickly and not escalate further. Whatever the matter between you two, if anyone asks, you must give a unified story, do not admit to anything, and do not let slip a single word so that others can use it against you."

A moment later, a close attendant of the emperor came and summoned me to the Funing Palace to meet the emperor. I was about to accept the order when the princess stopped me and said to the attendant, "Go and tell the emperor that the princess has something for Huaiji to do and that he is not allowed to leave. If the emperor has any questions, he can come and ask the princess."

The attendant was taken aback, but still agreed and left Yifeng Pavilion to report to the Emperor. As soon as he left, Consort Miao scolded the princess for her sacrifice, openly disobeying the Emperor's orders. The princess stubbornly shook her head and said, "I cannot let Huaiji go. If he goes to see Father alone, I don't know how Father will punish him."

That evening, the Emperor himself came to Yifeng Pavilion and chatted with Consort Miao and her daughter about trivial matters, advising the princess to forgive her husband and for the couple to get along well in the future. His attitude towards me was not significantly different, except that his occasional glances at me were somewhat cold and stern. Finally, he got up and returned to his bedchamber, and seemingly casually said to me, "Huaiji, I have some fine paintings and calligraphy in my palace. Come with me to fetch them and bring them to the princess to see."

I agreed and prepared to go out with him, but the princess immediately stepped forward and said to the emperor, "If Father wants to bestow calligraphy and paintings upon his daughter, he can simply send a minor eunuch to deliver them. Why send Huaiji to fetch them?"

She was exceptionally wary, like a hedgehog; anything related to me would instantly make her bristle. The Emperor, displeased by her guarded gaze, couldn't help but rebuke her: "That's right, I want Huaiji to go over and ask him a few questions. Your nervousness and defensiveness are truly disgraceful if seen by others!"

The princess stepped aside to block my view, stared at my father, and calmly replied, "I don't care about decorum, I only want Huaiji to be safe. If you believe we are in the wrong, then make him bear all the blame. Huaiji has nothing; if he's not by my side, who will protect him?"

These words left the Emperor speechless for a long time. Whether it was anger, emotion, or something else that came to mind, a faint, watery light gradually appeared in his eyes. Finally, he left dejectedly, leaving behind the words: "I hope this matter doesn't attract the attention of the censors... Good luck to you all."

But the next day I realized that his wish was destined to fail.

Early in the morning, Chief Deng delivered a court newspaper. In the most prominent position of this newspaper, distributed to all government departments, it read: "Princess Yan of the State knocked on the imperial city gate in the middle of the night. The gatekeeper immediately reported this, and the gate was opened to let her in, allowing her to enter directly into the palace."

The Lonely City Closes (The Princess Who Fell in Love with a Eunuch) A Pearl Amidst Rubble: A Case of Throwing Away the Censorship

Chapter word count: 2507 Update time: 09-07-05 10:38

Censorate

(2320 words)

The next time the Emperor appeared before Consort Miao and her daughter, he looked worried and troubled. Consort Miao asked him softly why, and he reached into the pomelo and took out a thick stack of documents, which he then tossed onto the table in front of me and the princess.

I quickly glanced through the documents and saw that the censors' reports were all about the princess entering the palace at inappropriate times and the palace gates being opened at night. The people who submitted the memorials were all famous officials of the time, including Palace Attendant Censor Lü Hui, Left Censor Wang Tao, and Tang Jie, the Director of the Censorate, who was recalled by the current emperor after being sent to a post outside the capital and entrusted with important responsibilities.

In their memorials, they cited numerous classical texts, emphasizing the importance of strict palace regulations and preventing any unforeseen incidents, as well as the punishments imposed by emperors throughout history on those who neglected their duties. For example, Emperor Guangwu of Han was returning from a hunt at night when Zhi Han, the guard of the East Gate, refused to open the gate for him. Emperor Guangwu later entered through the East Gate, but the next day he rewarded Zhi Han and demoted the East Gate guard. Another example is Cao Zhi, son of Cao Cao, the Emperor Wu of Wei, who, as Marquis of Linzi, left the palace during the day without permission. Cao Cao was furious and executed the official in charge of palace gates…

During this time, the Emperor glanced at me and saw that I was reading Wang Tao's poem. He then ordered me to read the last part to the princess.

I nodded in obedience and read aloud: “Therefore, since the princess returned at night without verifying her identity, Gui should report this to the authorities and allow her to enter the palace directly without any food or shelter. All the gatekeepers and officials she passed through in the imperial city and palaces should be sent to the local government for investigation.”

The princess frowned and said, "I was the one who knocked on the door. If the censor is dissatisfied, he can just scold me. Why question the gatekeeper?"

The Emperor sighed, “Do you think they don’t want to scold you? They actually want to scold your father too. Who would dare to open the palace gates at night if I didn’t give the order? The censors and remonstrators are just hesitant to openly reprimand us, so they’re using the gatekeepers as a pretext. Punishing them is tantamount to slapping us in the face and giving us a warning.”

The princess seemed apologetic, lowering her head and remaining silent for a while before raising her head again to ask her father, "Father, will you punish those gatekeepers?"

The Emperor shook his head and answered clearly: "No. They are acting on imperial orders. My mistakes should not be made them bear the consequences."

Thus, he withstood the initial attacks from the censors and remonstrators, refusing to punish any of the gatekeepers. Throughout the following month, censors continued to submit memorials discussing the matter, but he ignored them all.

The princess settled into the palace and showed no intention of returning to her own residence. Consort Miao was happy to be reunited with her daughter and spent her days in the Yifeng Pavilion with her. Meanwhile, the Empress visited Lady Yang at the princess's residence and returned saying, "She tearfully recounted to me the beating she received from the princess. Fortunately, the injuries were not serious, and after I comforted her, she reluctantly promised not to mention it to outsiders. However, there are many servants at the princess's residence, and it's inevitable that there will be gossip. If the princess stays in the palace for too long, I'm afraid it will attract the attention of the censors. If they investigate this matter and discuss the princess's minor conduct, it won't be good. Princess, please stay for a couple more days and then return with your husband. In the future, we should be more understanding of each other, talk things out amicably, and avoid doing anything that could harm our relationship."

But the princess refused, declaring that she would not return as long as Li Wei and his mother remained at her residence. The emperor and empress tried to persuade her several times, but to no avail. Li Wei later entered the palace several more times to request an audience with the princess, but she not only refused to see him but also reacted violently, either bursting into tears or throwing objects in anger. Each time, Consort Miao had to hold her in her arms and gently comfort her to calm her down.

Consort Miao was deeply worried about this. Once, while the princess was taking an afternoon nap, she couldn't help but complain to Consort Yu: "Such a couple is better off getting a divorce!"

Consort Yu pondered and suggested, "They were brought together by the Emperor's full efforts, so it's not good for them to separate now, and the Emperor wouldn't agree to it. However, if the princess and the prince consort were separated for a year or two, allowing them to calm down and carefully consider how to get along in the future, that would be a feasible solution."

Consort Miao sighed, "Now the Emperor and the Empress are both urging the Princess to go back and reconcile with her husband. I'm afraid the Princess won't be able to stay by my side for long, so how can she be separated from her husband for such a long time?"

At that time, everyone knew that Ren Shouzhong was acting on the Emperor's orders to check on the princess's situation in the Yifeng Pavilion. Upon hearing what Consort Miao said, he stepped forward and said, "It is not difficult to separate the princess and her husband for a year or two. If Consort Miao really has this intention, I will go to the princess's residence immediately and talk to the husband to ask him to leave the capital."