TPNCQ CHAPTER 35
Everyone is a chess piece
"How audacious! Jin Bao dares to claim credit for Jia Fei giving birth to two princes and asks me to forgive her. His heart is truly wicked." The Emperor reviewed the memorials, and upon seeing one from Jia Fei's father, he opened it and read it quickly. When he reached the part where the father mentioned the two princes and pleaded for clemency for Jia Fei, the Emperor was so enraged that he threw the memorial to the ground. Without a word, he ordered it to be returned to the Jin family and for Jin Bao to reflect on his wrongdoing.
Seeing the Emperor's anger, Li Yu quickly bent down to pick up the memorial and took it out. Jia Fei had sent a letter, and initially, the Emperor had felt a pang of sympathy. He had probably planned to lift Jia Fei's confinement after a few days, but at this moment, her father had submitted such a memorial.
No matter how arrogant Jia Fei had been in the past, the Emperor had turned a blind eye as long as she didn't go too far and as long as she didn't offend the Empress Dowager or the Empress. But this time, she had actually colluded with a court official, using the princes as a bargaining chip to ask the Emperor to forgive her. This was crossing a line. The Emperor hated nothing more than the collusion between the palace and the court.
Compared to the country, the throne, and the royal lineage, what was a favored concubine?
Having served the Emperor for a long time, Li Yu could naturally understand his master's thoughts. However, as a servant in the palace in front of the emperor, the most important thing was loyalty, followed by keeping one's mouth shut. Naturally, he would not leak any information.
Li Yu walked out of the hall, shook his head, and sighed deeply. Jia Fei would probably have to continue sitting on the cold bench for a while. It seemed that she would not be released anytime soon.
*
It was November, and two consecutive snowfalls had made the weather extremely cold. The sky was gloomy and overcast.
Su Limo spent some silver to get twenty or so jin of new cotton from the Imperial Household Department and had the experienced mamas who served Jingshun make three new mattresses: one large one for the Third Prince Yong Zhang and two smaller ones for the Sixth Prince Yong Rong and the Fourth Princess Jingshun. Although the Imperial Household Department had replaced the bedding in all the palaces with new ones earlier, it was so cold with the continuous snowfall that Su Limo was worried.
She went to the Prince's Mansion and carefully inspected the sleeping quarters of the Third Prince and the Sixth Prince, ensuring that everything was in order, especially that the gauze windows were intact and had no drafts. Only then did she feel relieved. She also checked that the clothes the two little ones changed into were thick and warm, and there was nothing else amiss before she felt at ease.
The studies in the Imperial Study were important. Even if it snowed heavily or icicles formed, they had to go. Su Limo could only pay more attention to the meals and asked the Imperial Kitchen to prepare nutritious and well-balanced meals for Yong Zhang. With enough food, warmth, and nutrition, Yong Zhang was growing stronger and healthier. He had cultural classes in the morning and physical education in the afternoon.
The Sixth Prince, Yong Rong, was becoming more and more mischievous. He would command the mamas to take him out to play in the snow and build snowmen, or he would climb trees to dig out bird nests. He was turning three years old and was very sturdy. A few days ago, he had almost plucked a red plum tree in the Prince's Mansion bare. Before the mamas could reprimand him, Yong Rong said in a childish voice, "I don't have many good days left. After I turn three, I have to start going to school and study hard. At that time, even if you mama want to play with me every day, I won't have time for you."
With a single sentence, the mamas were so touched by their young master's plight that they couldn't bear to scold him. Moreover, the Chun Guifei treated them very well, rewarding them with silver, clothes, and food. They had watched the Sixth Prince grow up and cherished him as if he were their own. As a result, they became even more dedicated and diligent in their care and service.
*
That afternoon, the wind had died down, and there were signs of the sun coming out. Chen Guiren carefully wrapped three rabbit fur hand warmers she had sewn herself and personally delivered one to Xian Guifei to express her gratitude for the latter's care during this time. She then sent another to Shu Pin. Seeing that she was about to go to Jingren Palace to deliver the remaining one, Shu Pin joined her on the trip.
Su Limo was reclining on a brocade couch, casually copying the "Three Character Classic", using it as a way to practice her calligraphy. Knowing that the original occupant of her body had written in a tiny, cramped style, she had deliberately switched to practicing the official script, with its thick and thin strokes and flowing lines, which was both grand and elegant. Although she didn't need to write or copy things on a daily basis, after hearing Ding Xue mimic Jia Fei's earnest letter to the Emperor, word for word, and how the Emperor, despite the punishment, was willing to read the letter after seeing her handwriting, Su Limo suddenly realized that her handwriting was a problem. If she ever needed to write a letter in the future and her handwriting was exposed, she would regret it.
So, in her spare time these days, Su Limo would spend an hour practicing the official script. She said it was to pass the time, but in reality, she was honing her skills.
In the secluded palace, every concubine had her own skills to relieve boredom and pass the time. Therefore, when they learned that Su Limo was practicing the official script, Xian Guifei specially found several high-quality calligraphy copybooks and had them sent to Jingren Palace. Xian Guifei herself enjoyed painting and was said to be very skilled at depicting flowers, birds, fish, and insects. When the Emperor was free, he would also be willing to chat with her about these things.
Moreover, recently, Ling Pin had been quite favored by the Emperor and often accompanied him. One day, the Emperor had read a poetry collection and praised it highly, but Ling Pin, who was serving beside him, couldn't understand or appreciate the subtleties of the poem. When she tried to say something, the Emperor's interest waned, and she could only keep her mouth shut. Afterward, she asked someone to find a mama in the palace who was literate and especially knowledgeable about poetry to personally teach her, starting from scratch. This matter was known to everyone in the palace, so when Su Limo suddenly started learning the official script, others only thought she was trying to pass the time or hoping to attract the Emperor's favor, and no one suspected anything else.
When Chen Guiren and Shu Pin arrived together, Su Limo had been practicing for nearly an hour and her hand was a little sore. She was just about to ask someone to put away the pen, ink, and paper when she heard the announcement and quickly asked them to be invited in.
"The incense you're burning smells very nice. It seems to be a blend of magnolia and pear blossoms. It's perfect for the cold winter, making one feel warm and at ease, as well as elegant." After entering the hall and paying her respects, Shu Pin took off her cloak and hand warmer, sat on the brocade couch, and raised her hand to tease the wisps of smoke rising from the incense burner.
"I made it myself the other day when I had some free time, following a recipe. I just lit it today," Su Limo smiled faintly and gestured for Shuangjiang to put away the pen, ink, and paper on the desk. Remembering that Shu Pin and Chen Guiren might like to drink tea, she ordered, "Go brew some Xue Ding Han Cui." She didn't have a particular preference for tea and preferred sweets, so she might as well drink this fine tea before it went stale.
She had never touched it since she made pearl milk tea for the Emperor last time. There's still half a jar left.
"Such a fine tea, I've only heard of it, never tasted it. Today, thanks to your kindness, I'll get to try it as well." Chen Guiren sat on a round stool below, her dangling tassels swaying slightly as she spoke. "It's been very cold these days. I got some rabbit fur and sewed three pairs of hand warmers myself. I gave one to Xian Guifei, one to Shu Pin, and I brought this one to pay my respects to sister Chun Guifei."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yingchun came forward to Su Limo with a tray.
"What a thoughtful gift," Su Limo picked up the hand warmer and tried it on. It fit perfectly and the fur felt very soft. "Wearing this when I go out will keep even the coldest wind at bay."
After Chen Guiren entered the hall, Su Limo noticed that the fur on her cloak was of good quality. Although it wasn't top-notch, it was still a fine piece, much better than what she used to have. It seemed that with Xian Guifei's protection, even the people in the Imperial Household Department dared not treat her poorly, and they supplied her with the best of everything. It seemed that now, if she wanted something, like this fine rabbit fur for hand warmers, she could easily get it from the Imperial Household Department with a little bit of silver.
"Your demeanor is much more refined than before, and you've also become more attentive to your appearance." Su Limo said softly, looking at the silver gilt and kingfisher feather hairpin on Chen Guiren's temple.
"In the past, I was constantly being wronged, and I thought that it would be fine if I just endured it. I endured it for so many years and didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Until I moved to the side hall of Yikun Palace these days, with Xian Guifei and Chun Guifei's protection, I realized what it felt like to have no worries about food and clothing. I could eat seasonal fruits and vegetables, and in addition to my monthly allowance, the Imperial Household Department would also give me some extra items. Even the best quality charcoal was delivered to me every three days without fail."
Over the past two or three months, Chen Guiren had felt a lot. Recalling her life before, she began to wonder if her excessive forbearance had been right. But the past was the past. Now that she had been placed under Xian Guifei's protection, many things were different, even if she wanted to be like before, she couldn't.
"In this palace, only the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress are the real masters. No matter how favored or arrogant others are, they are just like fleeting flowers that dazzle people's eyes. Even if one doesn't want to compete for favor and can't compete for favor, without a backer, it's difficult to feel at ease. Xian Guifei has been by the Empress's side for a long time, and she seems to be kind and easy to get along with. As long as you remain loyal and live a peaceful life, you won't go wrong." Su Limo advised. In the palace, choosing the right side was very important. Of course, choosing the right side was only the first step. How to proceed after that depended on one's own abilities.
"I understand. Thank you, sister Chun Guifei, for your guidance." Chen Guiren said, her eyes showing a determination she hadn't had before.
"I'm relieved to hear you say that." Shu Pin held Chen Guiren's hand and smiled. She had tried to advise Chen Guiren before, but the latter was always too timid and lived under Jia Fei's watchful eye in Chunxi Palace. Now that she had escaped and found a protector, she needed to start planning for the future.
In this palace, everyone is a chess piece. Those who were content to be used had the opportunity to use others. If one had no value, they would be discarded and disappear without a trace, leaving behind nothing but a coffin or even a straw mat.
Shuangjiang brought in the freshly brewed tea, and the three of them sat and had tea for a while. Just as they were about to move to the warm pavilion to play mahjong, they heard Dong Xue come in and report, "The Seventh Prince seems to have caught a cold. Five or six imperial physicians have gone to the Prince's Mansion, and Chief Imperial Physician Song Ren is also there."
Upon hearing this, Su Limo fell into thought. She had recently visited the Prince's Mansion to check on the Third Prince and the Sixth Prince and had everything checked in the main hall. The Empress had also led people to inspect the place. Moreover, the snow had stopped and the wind had died down in the past two days. Although it was colder when the snow melted, as long as they closed the doors and windows tightly at night, ate well, dressed warmly, and had an adequate supply of charcoal, they shouldn't have caught a cold.