Green peacocks prefer water and shade, usually building nests by riverbanks. They cherish their beautiful feathers and dislike exposure under scorching sun. To serve this auspicious pair, the palace had specially built a canopy as tall as a house, with water jars and basins piled inside, along with potted plants and artificial rock formations, creating an artificial landscape.
Green peacocks prefer to be active in the evening. At this moment they were crouched in the grass dozing. With no birds to admire, A’Lei was appreciating the exquisite artificial landscape in the pavilion when she suddenly felt the area behind her grow quiet. Looking back, she saw that all the attending palace maids and eunuchs had disappeared, leaving only one person standing backlit in the pavilion beside a pot of phoenix tail bamboo.
That person had a tall, slender, and upright figure with an elegant posture like bamboo. For an instant, A’Lei thought the phoenix tail bamboo had become a spirit.
Five years without meeting—still so thin.
A’Lei was very pleasantly surprised. She had thought it would be a final farewell, yet she could still see her childhood playmate again. From the time she could remember, Little Brother Ji had been by her side, practically family like her brother-in-law. It had taken her a long time to accept the fact that Little Brother Ji would never return.
A’Lei instinctively broke into a smile, but halfway through smiling, she suddenly realized her missing front tooth. Her smile froze on her face like being hit by Sun Wukong’s immobilization spell.
Seeing A’Lei’s embarrassment, Zhu Zhanji “smiled first in respect,” revealing the gap in his teeth.
Seeing this, A’Lei forgot her sister’s admonishment about being “modest and ladylike” and burst into hearty laughter as she would at home.
Seeing A’Lei’s brilliant smile, Zhu Zhanji also laughed aloud, forgetting his tutors’ teachings about being humble, peaceful, and not laughing out loud, laughing with abandon.
The young fire-tender outside the pavilion listened and was secretly amazed: This was truly seeing ghosts in broad daylight—could that young man inside with a laugh like a rooster crowing really be the Imperial Grandson?
Inside the pavilion, old friends reunited with continuous laughter. On the other side of Kunning Palace, the atmosphere was so heavy that breathing was difficult.
Empress Xu drank a cup of qi-boosting ginseng soup, and a flush of red surged to her cheeks as if she had applied rouge, giving her some strength. She slowly sat up straight and carefully observed Hu Shanwei:
“The first time I met Palace Supervisor Hu was in the thirteenth year of Hongwu, when Palace Supervisor Hu brought the ‘Virtuous Consorts’ Admonishments of the Song Dynasty’ bestowed by Empress Xiaoci to Prince Yan’s mansion. In a flash, twenty-seven years have passed. This palace is about to be buried, yet Palace Supervisor Hu seems to have walked from yesterday, still youthful. How enviable.”
Hu Shanwei was two years older than Empress Xu. In the year she delivered the book, she had just turned twenty. Having passed the palace examination and reversed her destiny, she vowed to remain unmarried for life and serve the palace.
At that time, Empress Xu, still Princess Yan, was eighteen and had already given birth to three children, with Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu still in her belly.
Princess Yan’s heroic image of riding horses to smash gambling dens and dragging her brother Xu Zengshou across fields seemed like yesterday, but reality was cruel. Xu Zengshou died before dawn, killed by Emperor Jianwen’s sword to the throat. Princess Yan had been empress for five years and was now nearing her end.
Throughout history, no empress had ever had such a secure position as Empress Xu.
In terms of birth, she was the eldest legitimate daughter of Duke Zhongshan Xu Da—half of the Great Ming’s territory was conquered by her father.
In terms of childbearing, Emperor Yongle had four daughters and three sons, all born to Empress Xu.
In terms of merit, she blessed the Yan region, defended Beiping, and was the strongest support during the Jingnan Campaign.
In terms of talent, the great drama she orchestrated with Court Lady Cao and Court Lady Cao, the grandmother and granddaughter, stabilized the court situation and ministers’ hearts that had nearly spiraled out of control after executing Fang Xiaoru’s ten clans, winning back popular support.
In terms of affection, she and Emperor Yongle were childhood sweethearts. She became his wife at fourteen and by eighteen had given birth to four children—an average of one per year. She enjoyed watching opera, and when Emperor Yongle was still a prince, Prince Yan’s mansion supported the Great Ming’s finest dramatists who wrote scripts specifically for Princess Yan. Yang Jinxian’s “Journey to the West” was the most famous script from Prince Yan’s mansion.
What did this mean? It was like purchasing the entire Jinjiang Literature website and supporting a hundred thousand authors just to please one’s wife.
However, Heaven seemed fair—giving her almost everything any woman could want, but not giving her longevity. Like her brother Xu Zengshou, who grew up pampered half his life with his father, sister, and brothers all indulging him, yet “Zengshou” didn’t live long, dying by the sword—the name was just empty words.
Sigh.
Hu Shanwei had always been articulate and quick-tongued, but at this moment, feeling deeply moved and clearly knowing she should comfort Empress Xu, she couldn’t say anything.
For someone as perceptive as Empress Xu, any words of comfort would be pale and powerless. She wanted to extend her life, but Court Physician Ru and Imperial Physician Tan were both helpless. What use could a female official be?
Only helping her handle her final affairs properly, letting her depart with peace of mind.
Hu Shanwei calmed her emotions and said: “Whatever orders Empress Mother has, please speak directly. This minister will give you a straight answer about what can and cannot be done.”
“Palace Supervisor Hu is truly straightforward.” Empress Xu smiled. “Now this palace understands why Empress Xiaoci and Emperor Gaozhu appreciated you so much back then. This palace entrusts the harem to you—I can rest in peace even in death. Today’s harem is different from the past—all women elevated for political reasons. You must care for them well and also guard against them. First, half the consorts in the palace are women from the tributary nation Korea.”
Hu Shanwei thought: This isn’t surprising. Since the Yuan Dynasty, it’s been popular to keep women from Goryeo, now Korea, often competing over the quantity and quality of Goryeo female slaves in their households, taking pride in this.
Women, ginseng, eastern pearls, and gyrfalcons were Goryeo’s four major tribute items.
It was similar to how major tycoons now show off their sponsored Korean girl groups or teenage idols. At every banquet, they would bring out their Goryeo female slaves for various competitions—talent, cooking skills, or beauty—creating their own version of “Produce 101” nightly. Winners gained tremendous face, while losers vowed revenge, creating ever-increasing demand for Goryeo tribute women.
Because a certain number of beautiful tribute women had to be presented annually, Goryeo issued decrees requiring all civilian girls over twelve to pass through tribute woman selection before they could marry freely—otherwise it was illegal.
A quarter of the Hongwu reign’s harem consisted of Goryeo tribute women. Emperor Yongle’s birth mother was from the Shuo clan, born a tribute woman.
Therefore, Hu Shanwei was somewhat puzzled: “Empress Mother, are there some of extraordinary birth among these Korean tribute women? Why were they elevated for political reasons?”
With death approaching, some state secrets had to be told to Hu Shanwei. Empress Xu explained: “Previously it was the Wang royal dynasty of Goryeo, but now that place has changed dynasties—it’s Korea under the Li clan’s rule. When His Majesty was still Prince Yan, he secretly provided money and weapons to help the powerful minister Yi Seong-gye seize power.”
“Therefore, when Korea was established, it had good secret relations with the Yan region. During the Jingnan Campaign, when Li Jinglong’s five hundred thousand Southern Army besieged Beiping city, Emperor Jianwen also issued orders commanding Korea, a neighbor of the Yan region, to send troops and grain to support Li Jinglong. Yi Seong-gye agreed on the surface but secretly delayed with various excuses, never supporting Li Jinglong. Otherwise, Beiping city might well have been captured, and this palace would have no opportunity to reunite with Palace Supervisor Hu in Kunning Palace today.”
Empress Xu spoke calmly, but Hu Shanwei listened with her heart pounding: There was such a thing? It seems that during my four years in Yunnan, I fell behind on information and nearly became a frog at the bottom of a well.
Even at this time, Empress Xu still comforted Hu Shanwei: “This involves state secrets—only a few people in the Great Ming know about His Majesty’s deal with Korean King Yi Seong-gye. Korea is the most important tributary state on the northeastern border. If His Majesty wants to relocate the capital to Beiping, he must stabilize Korea, otherwise the new capital would be in danger and the relocation would fail.”
“So all the Korean consorts in the harem are daughters of Korean yangban noble families. Chinese characters are Korea’s official language, used exclusively by Korean nobles. These Korean consorts’ skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, as well as their deportment and etiquette, are no different from daughters of Great Ming scholarly families. They are not like the previous tribute women used merely for entertainment and serving with beauty.”
“Their fathers and brothers are pro-Great Ming Korean yangban ministers—the foundation for stabilizing Korea and successfully relocating the capital in the future. As long as they don’t go too far, treat them as well as possible.”
Hu Shanwei understood and said: “This minister knows—if not for the monk’s sake, then for the Buddha’s sake.”
Talking with intelligent people was comfortable—they understood immediately and grasped the key points. Empress Xu smiled and nodded: “Exactly. Among these Korean consorts, Consort Quan of the highest birth has been enfeoffed as Virtuous Consort, along with the Yu, Lu, Cui clans and others—all daughters of good families, each granted ranks.”
“Additionally, the palace has two consorts from Jurchen tribes, also to stabilize the borders. These foreign women, far from their families, were all sent by their fathers and brothers to the Great Ming for political marriages for advancement—they are all pitiful people. Under this palace’s rule, they’ve all been obedient and well-behaved. I just don’t know if anyone will stir up trouble after this palace’s death. You must remember to treat them well but also guard against them becoming arrogant due to favor and disrupting palace regulations. Palace rules cannot be relaxed.”
Hu Shanwei accepted this: “This minister will treat them with courtesy and tolerance as the priority. If any have evil intentions, I’ll first warn them verbally—if they stop, that’s the end of it. If they persist stubbornly, I’ll first request instructions from His Majesty and then deal with them according to palace regulations.”
“Yes, exactly.” Empress Xu said: “There’s also Consort Zhang—her father is Loyal Martial Prince Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu was originally the Yuan Dynasty’s Privy Council Director, a first-rank official. After surrendering to the Great Ming and following His Majesty, he died in battle saving His Majesty during the Jingnan Campaign. His Majesty took Zhang into the palace to comfort the loyal minister. Behind Zhang are both Jingnan merit officials and Yuan Dynasty officials who surrendered to the Great Ming. You…”
Empress Xu was handling her final affairs, forcing herself to say too much. Now she was increasingly weak and couldn’t even sit upright. Hu Shanwei hurriedly helped the empress lie down and offered the ginseng soup.
After resting for quite a while, Empress Xu said: “The general situation of the harem is as such. After this palace is gone, Consort Zhang should lead the six palaces. Consort Zhang is too young with a somewhat impatient temperament. You are a Palace Supervisor of three dynasties—help stabilize her well so she doesn’t take the wrong path. This palace believes you have this ability. What this palace worries about… is the Eastern Palace.”
Empress Xu looked toward the Eastern Palace with deep concern: “The Crown Prince’s health is poor, and rumors about deposing the Crown Prince have never ceased outside. The Crown Prince always smiles at this palace, seeming never to take it to heart. Sigh, a mother knows her son best—this palace knows he’s uncomfortable inside. With this palace here, I can certainly protect this honest and kind child, and no one can shake the Eastern Palace.”
“But if this palace should go… the second son naturally loves to compete and fight. During the Jingnan Campaign, he followed the emperor in battles all along and even saved His Majesty’s life. Knowing my son as only a mother can, this palace also knows he’s unconvinced inside. However, with this palace here, the two brothers have always maintained surface harmony. This palace had hoped that time would heal everything, and this palace would slowly mediate between them until the two brothers reconciled. But this palace has no time left.”
Empress Xu’s eyes grew increasingly urgent with hope: “This palace doesn’t covet earthly riches and honors—I’m only worried about fraternal bloodshed. This palace knows this is difficult for Palace Supervisor Hu—if possible, please do your utmost to prevent tragedy from occurring. Help Prince Han understand that there is only one Emperor Yongle, and the Eastern Palace will always be the Eastern Palace.”
“This…” Hu Shanwei said: “This minister dare not guarantee success, but can only do my utmost.”
Actually, Empress Xu’s several requests coincided perfectly with Hu Shanwei’s work principles: whoever engages in palace intrigue, I’ll deal with them; whoever fights for succession, I’ll deal with them. No one is allowed to cause trouble—establish a harmonious and orderly Great Ming Imperial Palace.