Жан Чунь - Глава 40
After calming down slightly, Wang Anshi waved his hand to stop his son from continuing, and sighed, "Pang'er, you must not act rashly against him. The old party's power has not yet been eliminated, and they are hoping for internal strife within the new party. Lü Huiqing has gradually cultivated his own faction, and it is not so easy to eradicate him completely. If we fight against him head-on, we will only let the old party reap the benefits."
Wang Pang nodded, but two sharp glints flashed in his eyes as he said, "The time is certainly not ripe yet, but one day I will let him know what the consequences of betraying his father are."
Wang Anshi turned to look at Wen'er and suddenly said angrily, "How do you know that Consort Zhu? At such a young age, you already know how to plant spies around the Emperor and form cliques with the concubines in the inner palace. This is the most taboo thing for any monarch. Besides, you are my daughter. If people find out, it will be terrible! You are not allowed to contact Consort Zhu anymore. Stay at home and I will find you a marriage partner in a few days and marry you off as soon as possible!"
Wen'er was taken aback at first, then became angry and said, "No good deed goes unpunished. I should have kept quiet. Let's see how long Father can be fooled by Lü Huiqing!" Then she slammed the door and left.
Wang Pang immediately got up and hurried out to chase after her. He grabbed her and said with a smile, "Don't mind your father. My sister did the right thing. In the future, you should associate more with Consort Zhu. If you hear anything, just tell your brother and let him handle it."
Wen'er looked up and smiled, "I can agree to that, but how will you thank me, brother?"
“That’s difficult. My sister wouldn’t be interested in ordinary things…” Wang Pang deliberately lowered his head and frowned as if deep in thought. After a moment, he opened his eyes wide as if he had suddenly found a treasure, and said to his sister with a smile, “My sister is about to turn seventeen. How about I find you a suitable husband? I’ve heard that Cai Bian, the younger brother of Cai Jing, the Imperial Secretary, is very handsome and talented. He also writes beautifully and is about your age. How about I hint to his family and have him come over to propose marriage…”
"Pah! I don't want to!" Wen'er spat at her brother angrily, then ran away with a red face, whether from embarrassment or anger, it was hard to tell.
Wang Pang laughed heartily, then turned and went back to his study.
After her father-in-law was dismissed from his post, Pang Di secretly made a wish that Heaven would bless him to be reinstated and give him and his son another chance to realize their reform ideals. If this wish came true, she would go to the Daxiangguo Temple to offer incense and fulfill her vow. So on the third day after returning to the capital, despite the biting north wind and still cold weather, she took only her maid, Lüxiu, and rode in a sedan chair to the Daxiangguo Temple to offer incense.
Daxiangguo Temple was originally the former residence of Lord Xinling Wuji, a prince of Wei. It was later rebuilt by successive emperors. Located in the center of Tokyo, it is bordered by the Bian River to the south, the Imperial Road to the west, and the bustling commercial districts to the northeast. It is the largest temple in Tokyo and many of the court's Buddhist ceremonies, rain prayers, disaster relief, and beggar relief activities were held here.
Before even reaching the temple, Pang Di noticed that the temple gates were wide open, realizing his bad luck; he figured he wouldn't be able to go in to burn incense today. Normally, the main gate of the Daxiangguo Temple was closed; worshippers entered through a side gate. The Sanmen Pavilion and Zisheng Gate each housed five hundred bronze Arhat statues and sacred objects such as a Buddha tooth relic. The main gates were only opened with an imperial decree during vegetarian feasts or important Buddhist ceremonies.
Now, many monks are lined up in front of the gate, stopping those who come to offer incense and asking them to go back, saying that there is a royal ceremony today and they must come another day.
Pang Di stepped forward and asked a monk who was performing the ritual for. The monk replied, "Today is the birthday of the young master of the Princess of Shu Kingdom. The Emperor has specially ordered that a ritual be performed at this temple to pray for the young master's soul and well-being. Therefore, it is inconvenient for ordinary worshippers to enter."
"The Princess of Shu!" Pang Di exclaimed in surprise, "Her son has already passed away?"
Seeing that she looked strange, the monk asked, "Does the benefactor know the Princess of Shu?"
Pang Di nodded and asked, "Is the princess in the temple now? Could you please inform her that the young mistress of the Wang family, the Prime Minister, requests an audience?"
The monk agreed, and after going in to inform them, he came back to invite Pang Di into the temple.
The princess stood alone in the courtyard. Although her body was wrapped in a white fur coat, it could not hide her delicate and frail appearance. She trembled slightly when the fierce wind blew, and she put her hands together and closed her eyes, silently praying along with the chanting of the monks on both sides.
Pang Di walked to her side, curtsied, and softly called out, "Princess."
The princess immediately reached out and helped her up. The two looked at each other, both startled: how had she become so haggard and thin?
"Princess, I heard that today is the young master's birthday..." Seeing her so sad and lost in thought, Pang Di suddenly couldn't bear to utter the words "birthday anniversary" and remind her once again of the fact that her son had died young.
“On his birthday,” the princess herself added. With a helpless and sorrowful smile, she said, “My son Yanbi has been dead for several months.”
Pang Di couldn't think of a way to comfort her for a moment, and could only say softly, "Princess, please accept my condolences." He was truly saddened for her. He remembered that Zhao Hao had mentioned to her at the Star-Asking Tower that the princess's son was ill, but he never expected that the child would die so soon.
"Alas, please accept my condolences," the princess sighed, her voice filled with despair. "Some things are destined to make you grieve for the rest of your life; you can't suppress them no matter how hard you try."
Pang Di pondered these words carefully and felt a deep resonance within himself.
"And you?" the princess asked softly, looking at her. "You don't seem to be doing too well either."
Pang Di lowered his head and did not answer.
"I heard that Young Master Wang has taken another concubine?" the princess asked again.
So that's how people of that time understood their marital situation. Pang Di thought to himself, well, let them think that way, it's better than the truth.
A faint, bitter smile appeared on his lips.
The princess felt that her words had struck a nerve, and sighed again, feeling even more sorry for her. She took Pang Di's hand and said, "Are you going to offer incense? After you're done, come back to my residence with me and we can chat for a while. Anyway, you'll be passing by my house on your way home, so I'll send someone to take you back."
Pang Di declined slightly, but seeing that the princess really wanted to keep her for a chat, she finally agreed.
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Memories
Upon arriving at the princess's residence and sitting down, the princess found no sign of her husband, Wang Shen. She asked a servant, "Has the prince consort not returned yet?"
The servant confirmed this, and the princess's eyes dimmed, her expression turning somber.
Seeing this, Pang Di said, "The Prince Consort must be busy with official duties today, which is why he is returning late."
The princess shook her head and said, "No. He and Su Zizhan are very good friends. He especially admires Zizhan's literary talent. Over the years, he has painstakingly collected the poems Zizhan wrote in Hangzhou and compiled them into a collection called 'Qiantang Collection.' He even paid for the woodblock printing himself. Today, 'Qiantang Collection' was officially published and sold in Bianjing. He went to the bookstore early this morning to observe the sales and strongly recommended the book to his relatives and friends. He was probably so excited that he forgot to go home."
"The prince consort is paying for Su Zizhan's book himself?" Pang Di asked curiously, "Does Su Zizhan know about it?"
The princess replied, "I don't know yet. Jinqing said he wanted to give him a surprise. Zizhan is an honest and incorruptible official. In recent years, his wife and son have been frequently ill. His salary is meager, and supporting his family and treating his wife and son's illnesses has consumed most of his savings. Currently, he is living in poverty. Therefore, Jinqing also wants to lend him some money by publishing his books. Once the books have sold out, Jinqing will personally take all the proceeds and a sample of the poetry collection to Mizhou to deliver to Zizhan."
“The prince consort is generous and magnanimous, and his affection for his friends is so profound that it is truly admirable,” Pang Di said. But when he thought of the fact that he had not seen him at the Xiangguo Temple earlier, he sighed inwardly: He is indeed very loyal to his friends, but he did not accompany his grieving wife to the funeral rites for his son’s death anniversary. He was only concerned with selling books for his friends. This is not the behavior of a qualified husband.
The princess forced a smile and said, "Yes, he has always been very warm to his friends. If someone is in trouble, he will do everything in his power to help them. Thinking about it, that is one of the reasons why I admire him."
Pang Di replied, "The prince consort is so righteous and talented, skilled in poetry and painting. No wonder the princess is so fond of him."
"What you've described are certainly his obvious strengths, but they weren't the main reasons I chose him in the first place," the princess said with a gentle smile.
Pang Di asked curiously, "The princess chose her own husband?"
The princess nodded slightly and slowly recounted the past: "I was deeply loved by my parents from a young age. When my father was alive, he was determined to choose a perfect husband for me. Perhaps his standards were too high, because he was never satisfied with any of the candidates he chose, and he didn't find a suitable one until his death. Even when he was seriously ill, he repeatedly told Xu and Hao that no matter which of you became emperor, you must carefully choose a good husband for my sister and not let her suffer any grievances."
At this point, she seemed a little saddened, but quickly continued, "Later, Xu ascended the throne and became emperor. He first carefully selected more than ten sons of scholar-official families, and then said to me: 'They each have their own merits, and it is difficult to distinguish which is better. Why don't you choose for yourself, sister?'"
Pang Di smiled and said, "And so the princess fell in love with Commander Wang at first sight."
A faint blush immediately rose to the princess's face. Recalling the past, a gentle tenderness welled up in her eyes: "That day, the Emperor summoned them to the palace and had me sit behind a gauze curtain to observe them. But I was very shy, and even with my mother's encouragement, I still dared not look up. The Emperor tested them one by one on their knowledge of the classics, their strategies, their poetry, and their songs. The first few answers were mediocre and unremarkable, and I was quite disappointed. Suddenly, a clear and pleasant voice rang out from the side. He pointed out the omissions in the answers of the young gentlemen who had just answered the questions, and calmly offered his own insights, which were well-reasoned and insightful. The Emperor nodded frequently and asked him a few more questions, which he answered fluently and without any stage fright. So, out of curiosity, I finally looked up at him and found that he not only had an elegant manner and a pleasant voice, but also a confident and dashing demeanor, and even his appearance... was excellent."
"After answering all the questions, he bowed respectfully to the Emperor, then stood up straight, his gaze unabashedly fixed on me behind the gauze curtain." Recalling her husband's charisma that day, the princess seemed to transform back into the young girl years ago, sitting behind the gauze curtain choosing her ideal husband. A shy smile played on her lips, her emotions shifting between surprise and delight: "I never expected him to be so bold. The other young men stood with their eyes lowered, their attitudes very respectful. When he looked at me like that, my face burned as if on fire, and I didn't know what to do. But he didn't back down at all, still staring at me, and suddenly smiled slightly. I never knew a man could have such a captivating smile—gentle, dashing, confident, yet with a hint of…evil. Alas, I still can't accurately describe the flavor of his smile and the intense feeling it evoked in me; perhaps you still find it hard to understand."
“I understand,” Pang Di said knowingly. How could she not understand? Her happiest years were spent watching Wang Pang’s smile, which was full of indescribable allure.
“So, it’s him,” the princess said. “I grew up with my younger brothers, and I always thought that men in the world were all like them: Xu was passionate and impulsive, a fire burning from the inside out; Hao was gentle and steady, a calm lake; and Yun was lively and mischievous, a wind that liked to make everything rustle. But Jinqing is different from any of them. He is generous and magnanimous, elegant and witty. How can I describe him? He is a tall and straight tree, a vast and boundless sea, and auspicious snow falling and embracing the earth. He surprised me so much, and I have fallen for him without realizing it, loving him with all my heart.”
“In fact, the prince consort must also love the princess very much,” Pang Di said. Besides his own extraordinary charm, the prince consort’s tender treatment of the princess must also be a major reason why the princess loved him so deeply.
The princess nodded and said, "He's good to me, always coming up with so many funny ideas to make me happy. We had a wonderful time for the first two years; I even felt that I only truly understood the meaning of happiness after meeting him. But..." She hesitated, then said sadly, "One day, he asked me: 'How about I find a younger sister to keep you company?'"
Sister. Pang Di knew that this suddenly appearing so-called sister represented the beginning of the princess's tragedy.
“What can I say? How can I, like a shrew, shout and protest?” The princess smiled bitterly. “My father, mother, and empress dowager have carefully educated me for many years, hoping that I would become a perfect princess who embodies all virtues. How could jealousy, a taboo subject to the ‘seven grounds for divorce,’ be related to me? So I said to him: Very well, this way the house won’t be so lonely. The next day, he brought back a courtesan and told me: Her name is Xiaowu, she is that younger sister.”
Although the matter was none of her business, hearing these words still stung Pang Di's heart, causing a distinct pain. As a woman herself, she could completely understand the princess's feelings at the time, but she absolutely did not appreciate the princess's submissive attitude. "Princess," she said, "if you hadn't agreed to let the prince consort marry Xiaowu, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way."
“No, you don’t understand.” The princess sighed softly, “His love cannot be focused on one thing. Take his interests, for example. He likes painting and writing lyrics, and he loves playing football, but it doesn’t affect his interest in hunting. He is full of interest and fondness for all beautiful things, including women. In front of beautiful women, he is always active and talkative.”
She smiled kindly at Pang Di as she spoke. Pang Di immediately recalled their first encounter in the palace that day; the prince consort had indeed seemed a bit too enthusiastic when chatting with her. She felt a little embarrassed, but upon closer inspection of the princess, she noticed that she showed no displeasure and seemed not to mind at all, suggesting that she was probably used to it.
"Therefore, when I learned that he had another woman, I felt only sadness, not surprise," the princess said. "I told myself that perhaps this was part of the romantic nature of a scholar. Besides, how many high-ranking officials and nobles these days don't take concubines?"
Pang Di didn't know how to respond, so he remained silent.
The princess suddenly remembered something and smiled, "I heard Hao say that when you met Su Zizhan in Hangzhou, you listened to music and enjoyed the scenery on a pleasure boat on West Lake, right? That day, Su Zizhan noticed that the singer, a young courtesan named Chaoyun, was young and instructed the madam to treat her well and not let her frequently entertain guests. Later, Chaoyun became very grateful to and admired Zizhan, and they often exchanged poems. Last year, when Zizhan was transferred to Mizhou, Chaoyun cried all the way, begging him to take her with him. Zizhan repeatedly explained to her that his future was bleak and his family was poor, and that she would suffer if she went with him. But Chaoyun insisted and vowed to follow him to the death. Finally, Zizhan agreed and took her with him to Mizhou. This story has become a popular tale in Hangzhou."
Pang Di nodded and said, "This Chaoyun is deeply in love with Su Zizhan's character and talent, so she doesn't seek wealth or status and is determined to follow him to the death. Her character and temperament must be excellent, and she and Madam Su will surely get along well." He stopped there, but couldn't help but recall Xiaowu, who would claim to be heartbroken when the prince consort went out with the princess. He felt that this woman's character was very suspicious and that she would surely cause the princess a lot of trouble.
The princess naturally understood the implied meaning, and her smile faded, replaced by a slight frown and a hint of melancholy.
Just then, a voice was heard from outside the hall asking, "How have you been lately, sister? Look what I brought you." As it spoke, it walked in unhurriedly.
With a handsome and refined appearance and a composed demeanor, Zhao Hao, the Prince of Qi.
Xiaowu
Hao entered the hall and saw Pang Di. The two were surprised, but they immediately smiled at each other, as if they were old friends reunited. They were both very happy.
Pang Di rose and gave him a graceful curtsy, which he returned with equal solemnity.
Pang Di knew that as a prince, he only needed to nod in acknowledgment, but he always returned the greeting very seriously, treating her as someone of equal status to him.
The princess smiled and asked him, "When did you get back?"
He replied, "Just arrived. I came to see my sister first."
"You've come all this way, why the rush?" the princess said, turning to Pang Di to explain, "His Majesty sent Hao to Xijing on official business a few days ago, and he only returned today."
Hao smiled and said, "I found something worth admiring in Xijing that I thought would be perfect for you to collect, so I came to give it to you." He then took out a brocade box from his sleeve and handed it to the princess.
The princess opened the brocade box and saw a jade seal inside. It was made of pure white jade with a duck-shaped knob, exquisitely crafted, with bright blood-red spots on the knob. The cross-section was less than an inch long and wide, and the four characters "Consort Zhao" were engraved on it in seal script. The jade seal was smooth and lustrous, and felt like a piece of solidified fat when held in the hand.
The princess was delighted with it and showed it to Pang Di as well, then asked Hao, "What dynasty is this antique from?"
Hao did not answer, but smiled slightly and said, "Young Madam Wang is very knowledgeable and knows how to appreciate elegant things. Why don't you ask her, sister?"
Pang Di quickly declined, saying, "Your Highness is joking. How would I know anything about these things?"
The princess had already handed the seal to her and said gently, "Guess what it is for me."
Pang Di had no choice but to take the seal. She looked up at Hao again and saw him smiling at her and nodding in encouragement. So she lowered her eyes to examine the jade seal closely.
She wasn't particularly knowledgeable about antiques, but upon closer inspection, she felt that the seal showed signs of antiquity in its details, suggesting it wasn't made during the current dynasty. The inscription "Consort Zhao" indicated that the seal belonged to a Consort Zhao, and the fact that Prince Qi reacted with such delight suggested that this Consort Zhao was no ordinary person...
After thinking for a moment, she said to Hao, "Let me just guess. Please forgive me if I am wrong, Your Highness. This seal should belong to a concubine of the Western Han Dynasty. Since Your Highness cherishes it so much, it must have a very special origin... Could it be a relic of the Zhao Feiyan sisters or Lady Gouyi?"
Hao smiled and said to the princess, "Am I wrong? She will definitely be able to tell." Then he said to Pang Di, "I saw this seal at the hands of a scholar in Xijing who is a great collector of antiques. He said it belonged to Zhao Feiyan and was a family heirloom. I went to great lengths to persuade him to transfer the seal to me. Whether it really belongs to Zhao Feiyan is not certain, but it is definitely from the Western Han Dynasty, which I can identify."
Pang Di continued, "There are three recorded instances of a Lady Zhao in the Western Han Dynasty: the sisters Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede, consorts of Emperor Cheng of Han, and Lady Gouyi, consort of Emperor Wu of Han. Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede both served as Lady Zhao Feiyan, but Feiyan was later made empress, and Hede was promoted to Zhaoyi. Only Lady Gouyi remained a Lady Zhao Feiyan until her death. Now that I think about it, it is more likely that this seal belonged to Lady Gouyi."
Hao agreed: "I think so too. But Zhao Feiyan is more famous for her beauty, so people prefer to believe that this seal belongs to her. Actually, there is no need to investigate who it belongs to. These Zhao Jieyu were all peerless beauties with the beauty to topple kingdoms. It would be of great significance no matter who passed it down. My sister has always loved collecting ancient beauties' jewelry and trinkets, so I decided to buy it for my sister as soon as I saw it."
The princess smiled and said, "It's kind of you to be so thoughtful, I'll accept it. Thank you, Hao." She carefully placed the jade seal back into the brocade box and put it on a side table, then asked Hao, "What interesting things did you see and hear in Xijing? Tell me about them."
Hao nodded and said, "I met many old friends from the court in Xijing..." Just then, a woman's singing voice came from the backyard, and the voice became clearer and clearer, as if the woman was walking towards them and getting closer.
The song being sung is "The Moon and People Are Full": "Spring comes early on the small peach branches, and I try on my thin silk dress for the first time. Every year on this night, the lanterns are brightly lit, and the moon and people are full."
"The streets are quiet, the flutes and drums are in play, the night is long and chilly, and slender hands are clasped together. As the night deepens and all is still, laughter and chatter from a thousand doors echo behind the curtains..." The voice was soft and charming, yet deliberately tinged with a languid and coquettish air.
Hao frowned and stopped talking. The woman then moved in from outside.
She seemed to have just woken up from a spring nap, her hair disheveled and her eyes alluring as she walked, rubbing her chest with her hand as if she were Xi Shi clutching her heart.
After she entered, she glanced around and said with a smile, "So the princess has a guest." Then she gracefully walked to Hao, put her hands on her waist, gently curtsied, and said softly, "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Qi."
What a seductive woman! Pang Di immediately realized her identity.